Undisclosed Desires
by DaffodilDreamer
Summary: Nothing intrigued Lily more than a good mystery. She thought that she had solved the greatest of all when she had dated Lysander in her 7th year, and since then she has only been bored. What happens when a stranger presents her with her style of game?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

She glanced around the dark room, quickly realizing that there were very few faces she didn't recognize. She smiled to herself; one more of these places almost conquered. Her love for mysteries started as a child when her mother would read her detective stories and continued into her teen years as she read murder cases and novels. She liked to consider herself a detective, although not the murder solving type. She solved people mysteries, mainly in romance settings. She was not a slag, although by the number of men she had courted throughout her life one may think she was. Her interests were purely intellectual, and she had only uncovered the complete physical mystery of one man; Lysander Scamander back in her seventh year at Hogwarts. He had been her greatest mystery to date.

She was purely interested in the variety of men in the world. She figured every man had a tragic secret, every man had a soft side, and every man had something he was proud of above all else. Once she solved these mysteries, however, the man no longer held her interest. Lysander had been a challenging subject, and for a while she thought she would not grow tired of him even after she had completely unraveled him. But, just like all others, once the mystery was over there was no interest. Perhaps it was because none of these men were really up to her standards, or maybe it was because of her fear of commitment that she kept turning them down. Now that she was older, it had become more of a game.

It seemed that this would be her last night in this particular venue. Of the few faces she did not recognize, none looked remotely interesting. However, the greatest mystery places like this held was the true identity of the stranger. Due to the nature of the enchantment each guest is required to perform on themselves before entering, people can only recognize each other if they are of direct kin or if they have figured out their respective identities. Luckily for her, just because she figured out the identity of her conquests did not mean that they knew her identity. Oh how they would squirm if they knew who she really was.

Perhaps this is why she was really interested in mysteries; she liked to be considered one herself. Being the daughter of Harry Potter meant that many people in the wizarding world thought they knew your entire life story. That meant they either found you extremely boring or predictable, or they only wanted to get to know you because of your father. Lily Luna Potter wanted a man who would take the time to figure out who she really was...if they could hold her interest long enough to find out.

A drink appeared on the bar in front of her. She looked around and saw a man with shaggy brown hair smile at her. She smiled back and drank the drink, only after discretely transfiguring it to be water. The man was Derek Longbottom, and she had found him out after her first time at the club. Lily sighed and skimmed the dancing wizards for her two cousins, Dominique and Rose Weasley.

She found Rose first, her curly brown hair glistening in the dim light. She had been dancing with Ben Wood all evening. He was a decent guy, from what Lily knew, otherwise she would have warned her cousin. She looked over her cousin's outfit, and sighed. Even though Rose was two years older than Lily, she still insisted on borrowing from Lily's closet. She recognized her short sleeved, v-neck black cotton dress immediately. At least Rose had enough fashion sense to snag the matching studded belt to cinch her waist, as well as a pair of black leggings and silver bangles to pull the look together.

Not too far from Rose was Lily's cousin Dominique. Dom was the same age as Lily and was perfectly capable of buying her own fashionable clothes for nights out. She wore a pair of ripped black skinny jeans, a gray tank top, and a lacy gray and black floral over tank. Her brilliant blond hair was left down in soft ringlets, and Lily could tell she was not holding back her Veela magic; there was quite a sizable group of men surrounding her, and everyone else seemed to be stealing frequent glances.

Well, everyone except for a man sitting a bit further down the bar from her that she had not noticed until now. He had sleek blond hair and was wearing black pants with a gray button down shirt that brought out the striking gray of his eyes. He looked very unfamiliar to her, meaning they had not met before, or at least not while under the special enchantment.

The debate started in her head as she slid off of her stool and walked to the bathroom. He was rather attractive, yet that didn't mean he would be a very promising mystery. She had cracked equally attractive men in one date. Well, not equally attractive. He was certainly a solid 10, and Lily was very strict on her number policy.

She used her wand to touch up her smoky eyeshadow and to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress. She was very happy with her choice for the evening. The dress was very tight against her body, falling to her mid thigh. It was a very tasteful configuration of gray fabric, with black floral lace draped along her middle, and another black lace layer which formed the capped sleeves. On her arms she wore long, black, fingerless gloves which almost met with the lace capped sleeves of her dress. She wore her favorite floral white and black sheer leggings and black open toed heels. Her hair was left down in loose curls and she chose her make up to give her green eyes an added pop.

After she was thoroughly pleased with her appearance, she walked back out of the restroom. This time, she passed her previous place at the bar. She noticed the blond looking at her from his seat, and she shot him a tantalizing grin before walking onto the dance floor. She allowed a few men (Ryan Thomas, Theo Howard, and Don Greengrass) have a few dances with her, all the while shooting glances at the blond man at the bar.

After a few dances, she lost sight of him and he had not come to claim her. This disappointed Lily slightly, she thought he looked like a promising prospect. Just as those thoughts entered her head, she felt a pair of cold hands grasp her waist from behind. "You look even more bored than you did at the bar, Red," a silky voice whispered in her ear.

Lily tried to hide her shiver as they continued to dance. "Do you come her often?" she asked, maneuvering herself so they were facing each other.

"I don't recognize anyone in this room if that's what you mean," he responded, pulling her closer to his body.

Lily could smell his cologne. It was unlike any other she had smelled before. "You're the opposite of me then," she said.

"So you are the one they refer to as 'Queen,'" he stated.

Lily shrugged. "If they are throwing around a name like that, it must refer to me. I know all, but none know me."

"Must get rather boring," he said, dragging his cheek to touch hers as he whispered in her ear.

"Mmmm," she sighed as his scent washed over her. Who was this guy?

He pulled away, smiling. He grasped her hand and pulled her back over to the bar area where he ordered her a drink. This time, she did not turn it to water. "I propose a game," he said, swirling his own dark drink.

"Oh? And what kind of game do you proposed," Lily asked, leaning towards him.

"I'm guessing since you are the Queen of this place that you like a challenge, and that you like to unravel people; their secrets, their past, and who they are," he started, staring at her. "I also gather that since you are still here talking to me that you are at least mildly interested in what makes me tick. I would be lying if I said I wasn't rather intrigued by you," he continued.

Lily nodded, indicating that he should continue. "We will see each other five times, and each meeting will be a date of discovery of one another," he said, smiling.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "I'm intrigued. Conditions?"

His smile widened. "The same enchantment we cast on ourselves before entering this club must be performed before we meet each time. I will take care of our first meeting. We will each bring a list of questions or answers we seek while figuring someone out," he said, standing up. "Do you agree?" he asked, raising his glass.

"Cheers," Lily replied, raising her own to his.

They each downed their drink. He finished before she did, and she heard a clink as something hit the bar in front of her. She looked down to see a charm in the shape of a snake. "When this turns green, you will be able to read the date, time, and place of our meeting. I have a similar token. To respond, hold the charm at eye level and speak clearly. I will get the message," he said.

Lily picked up the charm and examined it closely before conjuring a silver chain to hang it around her neck. She looked up to find that the man had gone. She smiled to herself. Whoever he was, he sure knew how to get her going.

* * *

A/N: This fic is based off an idea that has been developing in my head for the past few weeks. I hope you enjoy! Images for this chapter can be found at .com/albums/a419/daffodildreamer/The%20Rule%20of%20Five/ (link also in profile just in case!)

ps. Yes, I will still be updating my other Lily/Scorpius fic, no plans to abandon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He had first heard of the 'Queen' from Aconite Parkinson. His vicious former classmate had a particular sore spot with the red head, as did many other young women who frequented the club. The Queen attracted the attention of all of the males, and even though their affections were very rarely returned, they continued to pursue her making all of the other women frustrated and jealous.

Aconite had been trying for a few weeks to woo a certain male who always seemed too preoccupied with the Queen to notice her inviting clothing and stares. She had come to Scorpius for his help, knowing he would eagerly pick up the challenge and successfully expose the girl. He was well versed in the language of women, having gained many a lesson and practice from charming and romancing his fellow classmates during his last few years at Hogwarts, and from a few other partners during the four years of his post Hogwarts life.

He had first accepted Aconite's challenge to humor her, planning nothing more than to go to the club and have a few drinks before calling it a night, but after seeing her and observing her behavior, Scorpius Malfoy was addicted. She stayed out of the spot light for most of the night, unlike many of the other witches who came to find a date, which made him originally think she was the sort that liked to be pursued. However, he noticed her subtle whispers and wand motions she made before drinking the gifts of her admirers, which he thought meant she was just picky. But then her eyes had locked on his and she had flashed him that look that said it all: he was to be _her_ prey.

He had watched her as she danced a few dances on the dance floor before he decided to play her game. Dancing with her had made going to the place worth it. She knew how to move against him, making him focus hard on the words he spoke to her. After pulling her away from the blaring music he made his move in hopes to surprise her, suggesting a plan that had been gradually developing in his mind throughout the course of the night.

She had accepted, completing step one. Now on to step two. Creating his own list of questions and answers to bring to their first meeting would be simple. The challenge would be setting up the first date. On the bright side, even if their first meeting was a flop (which it most certainly would not be) she was still contracted to see him another four times. However, Scorpius figured this meeting would set the tone for all of the rest. A good start always leads to a greater finish.

Xxx

Lily caught herself fingering the snake charm again and mentally slapped herself. That guy she met last night knew what he was doing alright. It was a particularly slow day at work and Lily found her mind wandering back to him quite often as she brewed stock potions for the store. It was almost as if he had sought her out on purpose, she thought. He knew of her reputation and the name others had given her, yet said he didn't know anyone in the place. Did he have an outside source, or had her legacy spread further than she thought? He had proposed a very interesting situation for the two of them, rather quickly and much to her style. Was he really that quick of a thinker, or had he been watching her for a while? On top of all of that, he seemed to know that she enjoyed a chase, seemed to know that she liked to figure people out.

Her head was spinning as fast as the mini whirl pool she had made in the sleeping draft she was concocting. He certainly seemed to know a lot about her. What did she know about him? He was extremely attractive with his playful, yet sleek, blond hair, piercing gray eyes, and she had felt while they were dancing that he was well built with muscles only Quidditch could give. His skin was pale and flawless sin freckles and blemishes. Based on his appearance, she guessed he was about her age, maybe a year older. His voice was icy, yet soothing. He knew how to dance. He seemed very confident with his words and actions towards her, the sort of confidence that might scare away less experience girls, yet it wasn't a threatening confidence. The air about him reminded her of the confidence people have when they know something another does not. This brought her back full circle: what did he know about her?

Lily let out a shriek when she felt something hot touch her chest. She looked down, expecting to see that her potion had exploded, but it had not; it looked fine, great actually. Her boss peered into the potion prep room with concerned eyes. "Everything okay back there Lily?" Malcom Baddock asked.

Lily nodded quickly. "I lost track of the potion for a moment, thought it was going to boil over," she said.

Baddock raised an eyebrow. "That's not like you Lily."

"Late night last night," she offered.

"Hmm," Baddock responded. "Is everything okay now?"

Lily nodded. "Yes sir. This one is almost finished!"

He nodded in approval before disappearing into the main storage area. As soon as he was out of sight, Lily looked down to see the eyes of the snake charm were glowing green. It was now warm to the touch (she would have to remember to tell her date to turn that feature down a few degrees) and she could make out a light script on the snake's underside as she held it up to her eyes. It read, 'Next Friday, 8 pm, The Gold Cauldron. Don't forget your list.'

Lily smiled as she stared the silver snake in the eyes and spoke the words, "Game on." Immediately the snake's eyes glowed green and the message was gone. She assumed this meant her message was sent successfully. She pulled her now completed potion off of the fire, set it on the stone floor, and waved her wand at a set of glass vials on the stock shelf. As soon as the vials had emptied the cauldron, Lily magically cleaned it and gathered the ingredients for the next potion on her list. Unfortunately, it was one that would require a significant amount of attention, meaning she had to be careful not to let her mind wander. Drafting the list would have to wait until she returned home.

Xxx

Scorpius glanced at himself in his mirror one last time, made sure he had his list, cast the enchantment, and disapparated from his flat. He arrived at the designated apparation zone in the village of Hogsmeade. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, waiting for the spinning to sensation to leave his body. For obvious reasons, Scorpius apparated as little as possible, and greatly preferred his broomstick or muggle transportation to the sickness he felt after apparating. It was a good thing that losing your lunch did not count as splinching yourself during the apparation exam, or he would have failed – multiple times.

His eyes opened and he immediately began searching for the bright fireworks, revealing the general location of Weasley's Wizard Weezes, and conveniently his dinner destination. After watching a red fox be chased in circles by a pointed blue hat (or was it the fox chasing the hat?) for a few minutes, he started walking towards them.

He was early, and paused to admire the new broomstick model on display, as well as a new breed of sleek black owls made to travel long distances across water. He passed the war memorial quickly, as to not disturb the visiting families as they paid their respects to family members and friends. Finally, he arrived (with a few minutes to spare) at a black stone building whose door was framed by two golden cauldrons, sizzling and steaming, producing the most mouth watering scents imaginable.

Scorpius walked inside, intending on waiting for his date in the entry way. He checked in for his reservation, and was about to decline the offer to sit and wait in the bar area when a flash of red hair caught his attention. Apparently the Queen also believed in being places on time...and still being able to dress to impress. He admired the way her charcoal skinny jeans hugged her legs and were complemented by a flowing yellow top.

"Ah, got here a little bit ago she did. Seems to have a lot of admirers already," the host commented when he saw what Scorpius was looking at. "She said she's waiting for someone though, so don't get too excited. Said she'd dine with me if she gets stood up," he continued smugly.

"She did, did she?" Scorpius smiled, not taking his eyes off of her back.

"Yeah, but who'd stand up a girl like that?" the host shook his head sadly.

"Only a fool," Scorpius played along.

"You're right there," the host laughed.

The red head turned around and looked at Scorpius, who paused and turned to the host, smiling. "Well then it is a good thing I am no fool."

The host gaped at him as he walked towards his awaiting date.

Xxx

Lily glanced at the clock at the bar. She respected a man who showed up for a date slightly early. In her opinion, it showed that he respected her time and that he was a man of his word. However, showing up too early meant he was overly excited, clingy, or had nothing to do with his time. No good, in other words. Showing up in the next few minutes was the target zone.

She glanced at the lobby area and saw him standing, exchanging a few words with the evening's host, who she almost hexed after the fifth time he stopped to check on her and order her a drink (she had only been there for three minutes!). His gray eyes locked on her and she saw him smile, conjuring a set of dimples she had not noticed before. As he made his final comments to the host, who looked shocked, she took in his attire for the evening. He wore dark jeans, black loafers, a matching black belt, an a casual green and silver striped button up shirt – tucked in of course. A good choice for the evening and setting, she decided as he reached his hand out for hers.

Lily placed her hand into his open palm and let him help her off of the high stool she had been sitting on. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I had only just gotten here."

She saw him look pointedly at the five empty glasses in front of her seat. "Don't worry, they won't be put on your tab; the host assured me that it would be coming out of his evening's check," she said, grinning.

"I bet he'd cry if he knew he was really paying for water," her date whispered in her ear as he lead her toward their booth in the corner. She shivered when his breath tickled her ear.

"Perhaps, but why ruin his night even more than you apparently already have," she said as she slid into the booth.

Lily looked around for their server. "I'm guessing you have not been here before," he commented.

She looked at him questioningly, suddenly feeling very exposed and vunerable. "It's very similar to a buffet in a way. Usually, you walk over to the glass food bar you can see over my shoulder. Just grab a bowl and fill it to your heart's desire. Then it will be cooked and served over rice or pasta," he explained.

Lily's eyes lit up. What a perfect place to take someone who, like herself for example, could never decide on just one dish; she always had the urge to mix certain parts of one with another. "Well, let's go then," she said.

He held up a hand to stop her. "I said usually. Usually that is how it works."

Lily raised her eyebrow, well wasn't he just full of surprises. "People enjoy food because it brings the comfort, pleasure, and adventure. This date will be about first impressions and establishing trust. So, based on our first impressions of each other, we will prepare each other's meals," he finished.

"And the trust?" she asked.

"You have to trust that I will not make you something horrendous," he smiled. "The fastest way to a guy's heart is through his stomach," he winked.

Lily laughed. "Who said I'm after your heart?"

Xxx

Scorpius watched as she walked away, slightly surprised at her answer. He took a deep breath before following after her. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, could he really trust her not to poison him? He laughed to himself and grabbed a bowl. She might seem heartless at times, but not enough to try to kill him. He would have noticed if numerous men his age started going missing or reported dead by the Prophet.

He looked at his date, watching as she carefully contemplated each vegetable and meat she added to what was to be his meal. Making a decision, he grabbed the tongs in front of him and placed some shrimp into her bowl. She did not seem like a red meat person, definitely not pork, but he wasn't sure if she was a vegetarian or not. He magically adjusted the size of the shrimp so she would be able to easily eat them, and after making sure that the tails had been removed, he proceeded to the vegetables. She was bold, yet slightly reserved in nature...he added some chopped scallions to the shrimp. She quickly adapted to any situation he had thrown at her...he added a few mushrooms. Gorgeous red hair and stunning green eyes...tomatoes and zucchini went in next. She had the ability to surprise him...a sprig of cilantro, and a smidgen of crushed garlic. She liked to unravel people...definitely cavatappi noodles. Finishing touch...basil pesto, uncommon, yet extremely delicious. He added some salt and pepper, and added a cooking note to the chef indicating that freshly grated Parmesan cheese was to be added to the top of the dish.

He placed his creation on the counter and headed back to the booth where his date was waiting. "No poison I hope," she smiled as she sipped the lemonade she had ordered.

"As long as you put none in mine, Red."

"Is that going to be my name during this game?" she asked him.

"Yes, because you see with me you have not yet earned the title 'Queen,'" he smiled.

He watched as she thought for a few moments, most likely on what she was going to call him. Before she could answer, their bowls appeared on the table in front of them. Scorpius laughed when she let out a gasp, which she tried to pass as a cough. He swiftly switched their bowls around and found himself staring into what he could only describe as a piece of art. "What's in this?" he asked, moving things around with his fork, licking his lips.

"Taste and you will see," she said, watching him. "And none of that 'ladies first' business. The first thing you will probably learn about me is that I don't do traditional dating scenes."

"If you insist," he said spearing a few different things onto his fork. She had chosen pasta as well, a delicate penne. He tasted chicken with some type of coating, a buttery, lemon chicken broth for the sauce, hints of garlic, chive and onion, he had also eaten a tomato on the first serving. He looked into the bowl and picked up a few of the remaining vegetables and admired how well the sauced went with the zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli. It was topped off with Parmesan cheese, although he thought he could taste subtle hints of cheddar perhaps? It was one of the best things he had eaten. "Was it what you were expecting?" she asked, a sly smirk on her face; she could obviously tell how much he was enjoying it. "It doesn't look like much, but the flavors blend well, don't you think?"

He nodded as he finished his bite. "I think I've identified most of the main things," he said, and proceeded to list the things he had tasted.

She smiled. "It's a base of butter, chicken broth, garlic and chives. Next, white onion was added, followed by zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes. The penne was added next, along with cheddar cheese which melts and makes the sauce thicker. The dish is finished with the Parmesan crusted chicken and grated Italian cheeses," she said proudly.

"It's such a wide variety, yet it all blends so well," he commented

She smiled at him. "It's very much like making a potion, which is something I'm particularly good at."

"Well you're next," he said, not wanting to stray too far into the subject of their personal lives just yet.

She loaded up her fork and placed it into her mouth, closing her eyes. She chewed slowly, and he felt a surge of victory when she smiled. "Shrimp, tomato, mushroom, basil sauce, garlic, zucchini, onion, and there is definitely something else," she said. She reached in for another taste. "A certain kick...oh it must be cilantro!"

"All correct," he replied. "I wasn't aware that part of the training to be a potions master included culinary arts," he joked.

She laughed. "No, no it does not. It does however train the tongue to separate flavors. Useful for antidote creation and substance identification," she said. "I suppose my love for potions did spring from helping my grandmother in the kitchen when I was young."

He nodded. They ate the rest of their meal, talking about this and that. The general basic information, without too much depth of course. Scorpius noticed that shew as very careful not to reveal any information that might link her to a specific family or even place of employment. He did learn however that she was two years his junior, was working towards the mastery of potions, she used to play Quidditch, and that she still lived at home with her parents, something he hadn't expected.

He in turn told her that he worked in marketing and international sales, had also played Quidditch, and lived in his own flat. He found that she was very easy to talk to, and it was very hard to hold back everything about his general life, things that he might normally have told a date. She seemed to have a wide range of interests, many of which matched his own. They both enjoyed art, although she claimed that she was not very skilled. They both enjoyed a good book, no matter the genre. And, obviously, they both enjoyed good food. It was all in all a very refreshing conversation. Many girls he had dated in the past had tried to be overly flirty on the first day, something he found annoying a very fake.

The later of which had just run out for the both of them. When the plates had disappeared again, he pulled his folded up list out of his pocket and waved it in front of her face. "Show me yours and I'll show you mine," he smirked.

Xxx

Lily grabbed her silver clutch from beside her and withdrew her list. It had been harder than she had thought, coming up with specific things she looked for or was interested in while seeing someone. It wasn't really something she had really spent much time thinking about. Usually, she went on instincts in these matters, letting the conversations guide her to new discovery. Also while writing the list she had to differentiate between what she found interesting and significant about a man, and what traits a man she would consider marrying should have. This was something she hadn't expected as she had also never thought about what traits she would consider for a man she wished to marry.

All in all, writing the list had shaken her more than she would have liked, but she had finally come up with the following (in no particular order): Where is his soft side? Is he capable of being originally romantic without being cheesy? Does he have an interesting or troubling past? What/who influences him the most in life? And she had also added with blushing cheeks: What is his greatest fantasy? and How do we get along physically?

Some of these questions (especially the last two) she had never discovered about most of her dates before getting bored or figuring out their identity. Answering these questions truthfully, yet not so truthfully that identities are revealed would be quite a challenge, and most failed in the past. However, Lily thought that the case might be different with...oh she really needed to come up with a name for him. _A nickname now to hold the place of his real name later_, she thought to herself.

Their hands touched as they swapped notes, only giving her a few precious seconds to admire the warmth and softness of his hands once again. She unfolded his list, holding her breath. She had never considered what her dates would want to know from her. Of course previously, they had just wanted to go out with her because she was pretty, not because they were playing the same sort of game she was. Somehow, knowing that they were playing the same game to the same end was nerve wracking, and Lily did not like to feel nervous.

She let out her breath lightly as she glanced down to finally read his neat script. His was slightly longer than hers, ranging from simple to complex facts. She began reading... and analyzing.

_What are her favorite flowers? _This one surprised her. Was he planning on using this knowledge to woo her? Surely they would not get so involved that flowers would be necessary. She had been with Lysander for much longer than five dates and he had never once gotten her flowers.

_Is she adventurous and open to taking risks and trying new things? _Well this one was standard, she figured. It also suggested that he was one for adventure and spontaneity.

_What are her life goals? _Expected...

_Has she ever been in love or had her heart broken? _She was puzzled by this one, as she had thought that this was typically something men either didn't ask or waited until they were secure enough with the situation to hear about past romances.

_Does she have a grasp on reality?_ Was he used to dating psychos or something?

_What does she look like without make up on? _Really?

_Is she confident in herself?_ Okay, this was a little more normal. Some of these were things she knew that guys noticed, but never really looked for.

_Are we physically compatible? _This was also a question she had been expecting, and even hoping he'd write.

_Is she clingy?_ Again, expected, yet caused her to laugh all the same.

_Can I trust her and can she trust me? _Another great question on his part.

Xxx

Scorpius made sure their hands made contact as they exchanged notes, knowing that there was nothing more intimate and exciting in a new relationship than a few, unexpected, yet very pleasant instances of physical contact. He watched as she began to unfold his list, and noticed that she had become slightly nervous. _She doesn't like not being in control_, he mused briefly. He entertained the idea for a few seconds before opening the paper she had given him.

Her questions didn't really surprise him, although he found it interesting that she took the extra quill strokes to emphasize that she did not like cheesy romance. He was also pleased that she had been bold and honest enough to state the importance of the physical component of the relationship. Scorpius had hoped she would elude to this somewhere in her list or on their date tonight. He certainly would never do anything she didn't want to do, but he did like to know where his boundaries were. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of the physical part of the relationship that was bound to happen at some point during their meetings. And, since they would only see each other a few times, this aspect would be greatly accelerated, or so he hoped. He was very attracted to her.

He watched her face as she worked through the items on his list, apparently thinking about each one and what it said about him as a person. He was sure she read quite a few surprises. Although no one aside from his best mate would have guessed it, when Scorpius went out with a girl he was constantly getting to know her and trying to form a picture of their future together. This was not because he considered marrying each girl he dated, but rather because he did not want to waste his time on girls that he obviously had no connection with. This case was slightly different, but they had a set amount of time, which meant that if any point he deemed that they were incompatible he would never have to see her again after their time was up. Finding that they were compatible to the point where he considered marriage was very highly unlikely. In most cases, he made his consideration to ask a girl on a date very carefully, making sure he would not even waste one date on a girl that would not be worth his time.

"So what now?" a voice said from across the table.

Scorpius looked up from his thoughts and smiled. "We keep each other's lists. If there is anything we can answer now, we do so if we choose. The other items we each need to incorporate into future dates, so start planning for the last four."

She nodded and turned back to the list. "Well I supposed I could tell you my favorite flowers, so you can be prepared for future dates naturally," she smirked.

He rolled his eyes, knowing that she would poke a bit of fun at this question; if only she knew how well versed he was in flowers. "These would make an overwhelmingly awful arrangement, but alone I find them unique," she started, taking another sip of her lemonade. "Dahlias, preferably a pinky orange color, amaryllis, orchids, daffodils, tuberoses, and Queen Anne's lace, the purple kind," she said, ticking the types off on her dainty fingers.

As she listed them off, his brain clicked to their meanings. True, the language of flowers usually applied to gift giving so one could speak without words. Even the way a flower was accepted spoke volumes. However, Scorpius believed that a person's favorite flower also revealed something about them. Dahlias signified good taste. Amaryllis represented pride and beauty, and similarly orchids represented maturity, charms and beauty. Daffodils meant a longing for returned affections or unrequited love. Tuberoses signified dangerous pleasures and voluptuousness. Finally, Queen Anne's Lace represented fantasy and delicateness.

"Now don't get all formal on me. If you read my list to the full extent you will have noticed that I don't like cheesy," she teased.

Scorpius grinned at her. "Don't worry, I speak your language," he said.

She grinned and twisted her head slightly to the left. "Unfortunately," he continued, "there isn't really anything I can share with you on this particular date."

"Oh, there might be," she said. "Or at least a partial."

It was his turn to cock his head to the side. She dipped her spoon into the bowl of chocolate ice cream that had just appeared between them. He was unable to take his eyes from her as she brought it up to her pink lips, and had to remember to breath when she slowly dragged it back out of her mouth between pressed lips. She smiled. "Mmmm, heavenly," she sighed.

"Yes," he said softly.

She laughed lightly at him. "If you want me to keep looking like I do, you best pick your spoon up as well."

He laughed lightly and did as she told. The ice cream disappeared slowly, each playing the same game and holding each other's hot gaze. It was ridiculous and sexy at the same time. The empty dish disappeared, soon replaced by the check. Scorpius swiftly grabbed it and pulled a few coins out of his pocket before he stood up to leave.

His date followed his lead, grabbing her silver bag from the seat next to her. He motioned that she should lead the way out, and she did with a light smile. He almost laughed out loud when she waved at the host, who smiled dumbly back at her. Scorpius placed his hand on the small of her back and offered his thanks to the host as well, who in return sent him a glare equal to that of a basilisk.

His date burst into laughter when they had safely made it through the set of double glass doors and onto the streets of Hogsmeade. "I'll remember that face forever!" she said.

He laughed along with her, also making a permanent copy of the expression in his mind. He held out his arm to her after their laughing passed. She mocked him by straightening up her posture and placing her arm on top of his in a regal manner. He rolled his eyes and quickly snaked his arm around her waist instead, walking them towards the apparation zone.

They shared a comfortable silence during their short walk. When they arrived Scorpius pulled out his wand. "Let's make this our meeting spot for each date, and then we can go off on our plans from there," he suggested.

She quickly, yet gracefully moved in his arms so they were now nose to nose. Scorpius was slightly thrown off guard at the sudden appearance of her gorgeous green eyes. They were quiet for a moment, and we wasn't really sure what to do, he hadn't planned on giving her a kiss good night...well not tonight at least. His eyes moved down her face, admiring the freckles on her nose and cheeks, and finally settled at her lips. He unconciuosly licked his own, and saw hers curve into a smile. Her face moved even close to his and he found himself holding his breath. The absence of her floral scented perfume was immediately missed by his nose. She tilted her head slightly and held her lips directly over his and paused. _Control yourself,_ he warned, using all of his strength to stand his ground.

She laughed lightly, her breath tickling his lips. He groaned slightly. "I'm really liking this game," she whispered, lips grazing his as she spoke.

"Mmm," was all he managed to say.

Her green eyes disappeared behind her lids and he felt her lips press lightly against his own. He kissed her back lightly as well, but when he tried to tighten his hold on her waist to deepen the moment, she pulled away from him. "Till next time then," she said, grinning.

He nodded. "Till next time."

She disapparated.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took forever! I've been busy and have had some trouble writing. I hope you all enjoy anyway! Thanks for reading and for the reviews! I got my flower meanings from a webpage, so I apologize if any of them are a bit off. I did try a few pages, so I hope I'm not far off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So who was he?" Rose asked, sneaking up behind Lily.

"Merlin Rose!" Lily gasped, dropping the shirt she had been trying to find the price tag on.

"Sure, like I believe that for a second. You've never been into wrinkly old men," her cousin teased.

The pair laughed as Rose picked up the shirt and placed it back on the hanger. "But really, who was he and how long did it take you?" her cousin asked again.

Lily sighed and moved to the next rack in the store. "I haven't found out who he is yet," she stated.

"Oh? And by 'yet' do you mean you are to see him again?" Rose smiled, holding a hideous green shirt up to her skinny torso.

"Oh put that down! Have you learned nothing from shopping with me all of these years?"

"But Lily, I want something green. I don't own anything green!" Rose pouted as she put the shirt back.

Lily searched the rack for a few seconds before pulling out a short sleeved green shirt, with small pleats and buttons going up from the bust line. "Here, this should go well with any bottoms and that pearl necklace you got when you came of age," she said, handing it to her cousin.

Rose seemed satisfied and Lily went back to scouring the rack for herself. As she would only be deciding half of her next date with Storm (as she decided to call him, after the gray of his eyes), she wasn't exactly sure how to dress. What she had planned did not require fancy attire at all, but she did not want to show up completely casual, just in case. What she needed was-

"Hey, you can't distract me like that. Come on, I want to hear it!" Rose exclaimed, folding the shirt over her arm, finished modeling it in front of the mirror.

Lily threw her hands in the air. "I will tell you if you promise to let me finish this shopping trip in peace!" she almost screamed.

Rose held up her hand defensively. "Alright, alright! I'll meet you across the street when you're done," she said. She paused to admire the top for a few more seconds. "Got any spare change? I really like this shirt."

Lily rolled her eyes and stuffed her hand into her pockets. "Of course you liked it, I picked it out. Now get out of here before I change my mind!" she said, handing Rose a few sickles.

Her cousin smiled, said her thanks, and finally left Lily in peace. Lily shook her head for a few moments. So, she was not planning something fancy, but he might be planning something above casual. Choice outfit would consist of: A. a solid colored tank top tucked into a high wasted floral skirt, topped off with dangling jewelry and matching flats, B. a printed summer dress cinched with some sort of belt, complemented by simple jewelry and sandals, or C. skinny jeans with a dressy top, no jewelry and heels.

Lily's eyes were drawn to a clearance rack filled with summer dresses. Option B it was.

Xxx

After she had made her purchase, Lily marched across the street and into Honeydukes, where she hoped that either Rose had forgotten to meet her, or had already purchased her a butterbeer. As she entered, she realized that neither of her hopes had been answered, however, Rose had managed to conjure up Dominique. Lily sighed and walked to join her cousins at their table.

Despite their age differences, the three girls had formed an air tight friendship. Rose was the oldest, two years older than Lily. Dominique was the baby of the group, trailing Lily by nearly three years. Rose had definitely been the influence of the group. She had started her rebellious phase during her fifth year at Hogwarts, and it had never come to an end. Most had thought it was the pressure to perform well on her OWLs later that year, but Lily and Dominique both knew her sudden change in attitude was a cry for attention which her mother was supposed to hear. Aunt Hermione was, simply, a work-a-holic, and Uncle Ron had no idea how to handle his teenage daughter.

So, Rose had sought out the attention of the male population and party goers of the school. She had confided everything in Lily, but had not let her join in on the experience until the end of Lily's fourth year. She had suffered her first 'heart break; that winter, and Rose had been there to assure her that she could get any boy she wanted. From there, Lily changed her fashion sense and started her conquest to avenge her heart ache. Soon after, it had turned into the game it was today, and everyone played it with her...or everyone except for one. He was older, by how many years Lily did not know, and he always made Lily think the words 'forbidden fruit,' even though they had had absolutely no interaction what so ever, and probably never would. This thought never bothered her, and she never chose to pursue him.

Dominique was never exposed to this scene at school without Rose there to push her, as she was too young during Rose's last years. However, during breaks and after graduation, Rose was their teacher again. They always had fun, just the three of them. Yet for some reason, Lily was not sure if she wanted to share this new aspect of her life with them just yet. Any mention of multiple dates would ignite a fire of rumors and awkward questions with no answers in the Potter/Weasley family.

"Okay, I filled Dom in on how I found you and what you were doing," Rose began when Lily seated herself.

"Oh? And what am I up to then?" Lily asked.

"You bought a cute new dress which I can only guess is for a second date with the man who's identity you have not deduced yet. Lily Luna Potter has bet her match," Rose smiled, crossing her arms in front of her triumphantly.

Lily had a short debate in her mind. Perhaps she should take this scenario her cousin had supplied, only after swearing them to secrecy of course. _That doesn't make it true. Going along with her story does not mean you are admitting you have found your equal,_ she thought. "Pretty dead on actually, Rose," Lily concluded.

Dominique raised an eye brow. "Don't worry though, I will know him soon enough," she stated.

Rose squealed. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!"

"What is?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling rather nervous.

Rose's brown hair disappeared underneath the booth and Lily saw Dominique roll her eyes and sigh. Rose appeared moments later, slapping a stack of magazines on the table, the top most depicting a smiling blond woman in a white dress. If Lily had eaten that morning, she would have vomited right there. "Rose! Are you kidding me?" she gasped, trying to stuff the magazines back towards her cousin and out of sight.

"I told her not to, I really did," Dominique said sympathetically.

"Nonsense. Lily has met her match. I can smell the champagne and cake now," Rose sighed.

"Yes you deserve a cake in the face at this moment in time. Oh, and when I do get married – FAR IN THE FUTURE – you are not allowed one sip of champagne," Lily said. "Now put those dreadful things away right now!"

Rose pouted, but did as her younger cousin demanded. It was common knowledge who in the family was an expert at jinxes...

Xxx

Lily was not able to escape the topic of marriage quite so easily. Upon walking into her kitchen that evening, she saw the same blonde model wearing the same hideous white dress staring up at her from the table. Her heart dropped to her stomach. She had just left Rose. There was no way her cousin would do something like this...would she?

"Mum?" Lily called out frantically. "Mum what is all of this?" she asked.

"Is that you Lily?"

"No, it's your other daughter. The one you like more," she joked sarcastically.

Her mother appeared from the entrance to their living room with her hands on her hips. "Mum, what is all of this?" Lily asked, motioning to the mess of wedding planning materials on the table.

Her mother smirked. "Would you believe it, James finally popped the question to Maddie!" she said.

Lily sighed in relief, trying to turn it into a sigh of surprise. "Oh wow, that is pretty unexpected!"

"Are you talking about James again?" she heard her father's voice ask from the living room.

"Yes dear. Lily is home," her mother responded.

"Oh perfect. I'll be right in," he said.

"You look shaken, where have you been?" her mother quizzed her.

Lily shrugged. "I was at Hogsmeade with Rose and Domenique."

Ginny Potter shook her head. "I was talking with Hermione and we both agree that we do not approve of your night life activities. Especially for Domenique! What an example you and Rose are setting!" her mother scolded.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Mum, I still get everything done, and I promise I've done nothing you and dad wouldn't approve of," she said, slightly embarrassed. Talking about her social life was NOT something she liked to do with her parents.

"You know we always thought it would be you first," her mother sighed, picking up the magazines and ribbon samples.

"Me first for what?" Lily asked, peering into the fridge.

"Your father and I were just talking about how we thought you would be the first to move out of the house, married, have kids," her mother sighed.

"So you're saying you don't want me in the house anymore?" Lily tried to joke, not liking the seriousness of the present conversation. Stupid traditions of wizards getting married straight out of school. Not everyone fell madly in love with a classmate or their best friend's sister.

"Your mother is trying to say that we want to see you in good hands. You know, settled down a bit. Even Al has his own place and a girlfriend," her father said, appearing in the kitchen.

Lily laughed. She knew for a fact that her older brother was not seeing anyone seriously. She wasn't even quite sure his apartment existed as she had never been there.

"Your father was just talking about a nice boy he was training at work, about your age," her mother suggested.

She saw her father's hand rush to his jet black hair, ruffling the already messy do. "We want you to at least see him once," her mother continued, looking slightly annoyed at her father's lack of enthusiasm.

Lily did not like where this was going. Could she really say that she was seeing someone? That would raise lots of questions and look very suspicious when she couldn't provide a proper name. She sighed. "I'll think about it?" she tried.

"Well you can as much as you want, but you are seeing him next Wednesday evening," her mother said.

Her father sent Ginny a mix between a glare and a look of shock. "I have work," Lily lied quickly.

Her mother's face turned to an expression of pure fury. "Do not lie to me. Please Lily, we are trying to help," she said.

Lily could argue, but decided it would not be in her best interest. She nodded and walked up to her room. Maybe she should just move out on her own.

Xxx

Scorpius stared at the neatly written list in front of him, laying on his stomach on top of his green comforter. During their remaining four dates together, he would need to find ways to reveal to her his soft side, his non-cheesy romantic side, troubles from his past, his life influences, his greatest fantasy, and prove their physical compatibility. He was due to meet with her in Hogsmeade again that evening and had no idea what his half of the date would consist of. He needed to carefully map out the rest of his time with her to cover all of her questions, as well as make sure the experience was a good one for the both of them.

He did not feel that he knew her enough to feel comfortable divulging the secrets of his past or his greatest influences and ambitions in his life. And, naturally, his greatest fantasy and their physical compatibility would occur at the climax of their relationship: date five. Waiting with her would be hard, he knew it. He usually wasn't greatly affected by girls he met so easily, but that brief unexpected kiss that _she _had initiated on their last date had driven him slightly crazy, filling his mind before, after and during sleep with thoughts of her. Thoughts of her mouth on his, his hands all over her body. Scorpius groaned as he felt his waistband tighten.

Focus. He was left with showing her either his original romanticism or his softer side. Again, he did not feel that he knew her enough to ensure a romantic date free of cheesiness. That left a date that revealed his soft side, meaning, what was he passionate about? What would she find slightly surprising about his character?

Scorpius laughed. There were plenty of things she would find surprising at this point about him. He needed something that would surprise her the most, something she would least expect based on their time together so far. He had taken girls he had much less interest in on some pretty memorable dates, but it had only been to satisfy his own needs. This time, it was different. The ultimate goal was greater than that his male hormones. He could ask his best friend and roommate perhaps, but that might lead to some questions and assumptions of the end of his bachelorhood. Besides, his roommate was not the smoothest on dates and was never able to hold a steady girlfriend. Nope, asking for his help was definitely out of the question. Scorpius tried to open the door to his imagination as he looked around his room. His eyes finally settling on his decorated wall opposite his master bed. Perfect.

Scorpius finished getting himself dressed and ready for his second date, all the time wondering what she would have planned for him. Thankfully, he was able to get out of his flat with a plan and on time. It wouldn't do to be late on their second date.

Xxx

He arrived at the apparation point at Hogsmeade to see his beauty standing with her back turned to him. She had chosen a casual, yet not overly casual dress. It looked to be a gray, blue, and white floral pattern, cinched above her navel, ending above her knees. After making one last check that he had properly cast his concealment charm, and after making a few movements to ensure that the motion sickness from apparating had worn off, he quietly approached her from behind.

He inhaled the intoxicating scent coming from her hair deeply as he curled his arms around her waist. "Good evening," he said softly.

The red head did not jump in alarm, but rather relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sure it will be," she said, and Scorpius could hear the smile playing on her lips.

He grabbed one of her soft hands and spun her around dance style so she was facing him now. "No make up. There's one more to check off of your list," she said, bare face smiling up at him.

And only now was he convinced of the phrase 'natural beauty.' Other woman cheated, sweeping nude tones over their cheeks and eye lids, brushing their lips with a faint pink stain. He could tell that his witch was not wearing anything but her face. It was a relief, and new, to see a woman this close up and not have to avoid focusing on grains of powder settling on her skin, providing anther barrier between them. "Lovely," was all he managed to say, tipping her face closer to his.

He kissed her lightly, a taste of heaven mixed with raspberry lip balm, which again was cut short by the red head. "Shall we leave? I do hope you have not planned a date for me in the same place as our last? I forgot to mention that I also despise redundancies," she smiled, pulling herself an arm's length away from his body.

He smiled. "Oh no redundancies here. I have reserved a special time for my part of the date to ensure the full effect and minimum disturbances," he said, swiftly recovering from their kiss.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Alright, you are at my mercy for the time being," she said, offering her arm for him to hold on to.

Scorpius let his mind contemplate all of the meanings her words held before he gritted his teeth and prepared himself for apparation.

Xxx

Scorpius opened his eyes when he felt his feet were securely on the ground. He kept his eyes closed while the familiar wave of nausea washed over him. When he had control over his stomach, he opened his eyes almost to lose it again. "Merlin! Geeze! Slytherin's SHIT!" he swore, backing up quickly.

He heard his date laugh at his outburst. "I don't think 'finding out if your date is a murderer' was on the list that I gave you!" he exclaimed. This girl was crazy. With a capital C.

"When you're calmed down, will you take a serious look at the beauty around you?" she asked, hands on her hips.

Scorpius held his eyes closed for a few more seconds before he inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. He saw the pure blue of the sky in front of his eyes, as far as he could see. Below them were the green of forests, thriving on the sides of smaller mountains at their feet. Directly behind him there was a dark, shallow cave. It looked like something out of an adventure novel. He had no idea people were actually crazy enough to go places like this. One false coordinate while apparating would have sent them to their deaths. He dry heaved at the thought.

"Geeze are you okay? Usually the altitude gets to people, but not this badly. You out of shape or something?" she joked, with a small bit of concern padding her words.

"No! You, you could warn a guy you know!" he exclaimed again, trying to get a grip on his emotions, convincing himself that he was alive and not about to die.

"Head into that cave behind you. You can sit while I tell you why we are here," she suggested, walking towards him.

He nodded, walking into the dark cave and sat on the first rock he found. He then pulled out his wand to provide light. The first thing he saw were pictures on the walls. Ancient drawings of an ancient people.

"So I guess based on your reaction, this also kind of doubles as my adventurous side, although I didn't plan on it revealing that."

"Well what is it then? Are you secretly part of this tribe, here to offer me up as a sacrifice?" he joked.

Lily laughed. "Okay, I'm pretty sure I don't look that old without my make up on," she laughed. "This place represents my ambition."

Oh no. She wasn't expecting him to finish climbing this mountain with her or anything was she? He didn't think he could handle it, even if she promised that she would do sinful things to him when they reached the top. Nope, no way. That was the line. No climbing mountains.

"It's for potions research," she explained when he failed to respond to her statement.

"Oh is it?" he asked in relief. Thank Merlin.

"The walls here tell a story," she explained, pointing to the white paint drawings around them.

She watched as his eyes opened even wider before he sprang from his seat to investigate closer. "Judging by the style and runes used, I would say they were done by one of the first medical magic druid tribes," he concluded.

The Queen raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by his knowledge of the drawings. Oh, she would find out the extent soon enough. "Alright, Mr. Smarty pants, this is my time to teach you."

He laughed. "Please, teach me," he said.

"On the walls is a story, or maybe a recipe you could say, for a medicinal cure for the killing curse," she stated. "But, as no one can read these ruins and there are parts missing, potions masters have only been able to guess as to what the potion is comprised of, and as you probably realize, all of those guesses have been wrong."

He nodded. He remembered vaguely going over such a potion when they learned about research potions back in his seventh year, but he had only thought old, crazy wizards driven by their determination to revive a loved one researched such potions."And you think that you can do it?" he asked her, trying to hide his shock and disbelief.

She drew in a breath. "Well I believe that if one were to taste death, one could determine the necessary counter flavors for the potion."

She wasn't suggesting...she hadn't already done it had she? To taste death would mean that she would be dead. So unless the dead were very good kissers...

"I developed a spell that mimics the effects of death. It's a pretty scary experience the first time it is done, but you get used to it," she said.

He felt a mix of relief and horror at the same time. He was relieved that she had not dragged him up here to be her test subject, but he was horrified that she would even consider performing such a spell on herself. Trying not to let his concern show, he asked, "So what does death taste like?"

She sighed, seeming frustrated. "Unlike anything I've ever tasted. It's hard to determine the exact flavors, but I'm too nervous to put myself through the spell too many times," she admitted.

Scorpius nodded, relieved that she was at least partially sane. "Well it's good to know you aren't truly suicidal, only partially."

"But wouldn't it be worth it to have the counter? I mean you could bring back anyone!" she said.

He watched her expression falter slightly, knowing she was thinking about lost family members and the war. "That's another date," he interjected. "Anything else up here you wanted to show me? I'm not much of a climber," he said.

She shook her head, smiling lightly again. "No, that's it. I'm all yours now," she winked.

He chuckled to himself. She could turn it on and off so quickly. "Well, let's go," he said, offering her his arm. "Oh, you should probably note how apparation tastes and devise a counter potion for the side effects," he stated quickly before he whisked them to their next destination.

Xxx

Lily was still laughing lightly when they arrived at their next destination. "It happens too quickly to get an exact taste separation, but I could suggest some Dramamine," she laughed.

Her date was silent for a few seconds. "What is Dramamine?" he asked, slightly wheezy.

"Muggle medication for motion sickness," she answered, looking around her.

It was dark, she could make out a few trees around her, and some faint lights coming from between them. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Will you give me a minute? This has been a lot of apparating for me!" her date pleaded, hands on his knees.

Lily shook her head sadly and reached for her wand. She muttered a few words and waved her wand around his head in a circular motion. "The things you do to me," he said, winking at her. "If you'd come with me," he added, holding his arm out to her.

She smirked at him and took his arm. "I've only just began to show you all that I can do," she whispered lightly in his ear.

He cleared his throat as they stepped through the last few trees. She had been right; they were now in a well lit area. Lily turned back to see that the trees had gone. "Magical apparation point. Invisible to muggles," her date said, responding to her look of confusion. Well, for someone who hated apparating, he sure seemed to be an expert on apparation zones.

As they continued walking, their surroundings became clearer and clearer, as if they were moving out of a fog. It all looked very familiar, as if she had been there before, or in some kind of dream. "And if you look over there," he said pointing to her left, "you will see the most memorable landmark around."

Lily turned her head to the left and gasped. A few miles in the distance was a tall spike, glowing lightly against the dark night sky. She followed the spike towards the ground with her eyes until her view was obstructed, but she knew it gradually grew wider until it arched into four legs. They were in France, and she was the closest she had ever been to the Eiffel Tower. She couldn't help but stare, fighting the urge in her legs to walk, no run, run forward until she could stand directly beneath the captivating lights. "Are we going closer?" she asked, not moving her eyes away from the sight.

"You've never been?" he asked lightly from next to her.

She shook her head. "Mum and dad were always too busy."

"Well it wasn't supposed to be the star of the show tonight, but I suppose it warrants a visit at the end then," he said.

What could be better than this sight? "Well shall we get on with our date?" he asked.

She nodded, unable to speak. Instead of offering his usual arm to her, she felt one of his hands reaching down for hers. Her mind snapped back into focus. He hadn't tried to hold her hand before now. In fact, Lily couldn't remember the last time she had held hands on a date. She blushed, slightly embarrassed for enjoying such a small, casual pleasure. He talked to her casually about France and the trips he had taken there growing up. His parents loved to travel. Whether it was for his father's job or to satisfy one of his mother's particular urges, they went everywhere and anywhere.

As they rounded the next corner, Lily's eyes were met with another familiar sight: a glowing glass pyramid. "The Lourve?" she breathed excitedly.

He nodded, pausing them outside of the entrance. He took both of her hands in his now, and she couldn't help but stare at them for a moment before diverting her gaze back up to his gray eyes. "Tonight I will show you what I consider to be my soft side, my passion. My father was great friends with some of the employees here, and I was able to arrange for us to walk around after hours," he said.

"Your father is close with muggles?" she asked suddenly. Of all of the questions to ask.

He smiled at her. "Wizards have taken an interest in art, particularly improving ways to preserve it over time," he said, leading them inside.

Lily was utterly speechless. He took her through a great number of galleries, pointing out particularly famous pieces and other lesser known gems. She tried to take in all that he was saying about each piece, but he was like an overflowing book; there was no way to keep up. She instead concentrated on his tone, the loving way he described pieces, the excitement when he noticed that she saw something she particularly liked. In a way, his voice and the language he used reminded her of the stolen conversations her parents had when they thought no one was around. Full of life, excitement, love, passion, and happiness.

"-the wizarding gallery."

Lily shook her head. "The what?"

He laughed at her. "There is a portion of the gallery for wizard art to you know. Although, it is not open or known to muggles," he smiled, leading her down an empty hallway.

He pushed open a door with some sort of French warning sign on it. Lily froze when she saw what was inside. Pastels were moving. Painted ocean waves were splashing over their frames. Opera singers were enchanting her ears. She laughed, breathlessly as she moved to stare at the ocean painting. "I guess this is what you would call 'bringing art to life' huh?" she commented.

"I personally enjoy the older muggle painters," he commented as they moved further into the "Magical Moderns" wing.

She heard him sigh as she paused in front of a painting of what at first glance had appeared to be a child cloaked in black, surrounded by tall shadows. The background was a very dark gray, although there seemed to be very faint flashes of light in the background, and occasionally, a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth would appear, ever so faintly in the sky. Lily knew this to be the dark mark, Voldemort's sign, from History of Magic.

However, it was the child that held her interest. Lily could tell by the facial features that it was a girl. Her eyes looked half alive, and her mouth was stagnant. When she looked closer at the face, she noticed that the girl actually had crows feet by her eyes, and lines near the corners of her mouth. She looked too tired to be that young.

"Who let this painter it?" he asked when he saw her staring.

Lily paused, trying to decipher his tone. He spoke as if he was not a fan of the painting in question, yet his tone said differently; there was a hint of nervousness. "But this has been my favorite so far," she said, not taking her eyes off of the little girl.

If she had looked at his face, she would have seen a rare, sincere smile. "Why? What thoughts does it provoke in you to give it such an honor?" he asked her, drawing his arms around her waist.

Lily drew in a deep breath and remained silent for a few moments longer. "Comparing the girl pictured to the shadows surrounding her, I would initially say that she was a child. Yet, when you look closer," Lily motioned, gesturing to the girl's face. "you see that she has age lines, suggesting she saw the end of her youth too soon. I would guess the thing that brought her to this figurative aging would be the shadows and images flashing in the background. The shadows look like the outlines of people, and because they are shadows, I would say that these people are no more. The mark in the sky is the dark mark, and since it appears very faint, I would guess that this girl, or woman rather, was painted after the war. The flashes of light must represent the battle spells seen. Green for the killing curse, red for stun, white for blocking or healing."

"So your final conclusion?" he asked her.

"The woman got drawn into the war, most likely on the side of evil, at a young age and against her will. Fighting for this side proved to be very tiring, and I sense a deep regret in her eyes," Lily concluded, transfixed still by the girl.

In an instant, the girl was replaced by his face. "Exactly," he murmured, before pulling her face to his.

Lily barely had time to gasp before their lips met in a fierce embrace, and she could tell by his secure grip on her waist and face that he was not letting her away that easily...which was perfectly fine with her. He began dominating the kiss, an experience Lily had never let happen to her before. She had struggled against him at first, refusing to let him dictate speed and intensity, but he overpowered her...in the best way possible of course. She let his lips move over hers, let his tongue move over her lips and even dance with hers.

Her mind was absolutely blank as he pulled away. She barely held the word 'wow' on the very tip of her tongue, but was not able to stop her mouth from hanging open stupidly.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," her date smirked, still holding her waist, staring at her as if contemplating round two.

Lily scowled. "I take it you know who the artist is," she stated, gesturing at the 'anonymous' written on the artist biography plaque.

"Does it really matter?" he asked, blushing ever so lightly.

Lily smiled. _He_ had painted it. But, how long would he go without admitting to his talents? She sighed as she put together her plan of action. "Well the painting is decent."

"I thought you said it was your favorite," he responded quickly.

"I'd like to see some more by thy particular artist to ensure it wasn't a fluke. Does he have any more here?"

She watched his eyes shift. Was that a flash of sadness? "I'm afraid to say that this was his only true masterpiece. He lost his inspiration shortly after," he commented staring at the work.

Lily contemplated. He must have known the woman. Perhaps she was a family member, or family friend. "It's a shame. I would have liked to see the artistic growth," she said. "Or if he could still paint a woman so beautifully, with such meaning, if he had another model. Although, she would be sub-par in comparison."

"He might be able to crack out his brushes for you," he whispered in her ear.

"Who said I wanted you to paint me?" she asked, slyly, innocently.

He smiled. "Who said I was doing said painting?" he responded.

Lily mentally stamped her foot, cover blown. "You are correct though," he stated, noting her frustration. "And I was serious when I said that I'd consider painting again, with you as the model of course," he added, looking into her eyes.

Lily felt her cheeks start to burn. She was caught completely off guard. She hadn't been serious at all. He couldn't possibly consider her worthy to paint. He hair was ridiculous, and her skin was practically the same color that the canvas would be. "Going back on your offer?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

Lily hesitated. Where was her Gryffindor confidence? This part of the date was supposed to be about him showing his soft side, his insecurities, not the other way around. "I'll consider it," she finally said, seriously.

He nodded in conformation. "It can be your adventurous side, although I really hope modeling for an amateur artist isn't at the top of your adventure list," he joked.

She hit his arm lightly. He stole a quick kiss from her before checking his watch. "We should probably head out then," he said.

Lily nodded, it was getting late. They walked back to the apparation zone, hand in hand, Lily's thoughts running away from her the whole way.

Why had that last kiss felt so much different from the others? _Because he just flattered your knickers off by saying he wants to paint you. _

Why was she so nervous about the idea of him painting her? _Obviously because 1. you are so self conscious it's ridiculous and 2. if it is as good as his last painting, all of wizarding London will see your face. Nothing more. _

Why was he holding her hand? _You're mock dating, gaining trust to know each other's name. It's just a game._

Then why does it not feel like one anymore? _..._

_

* * *

_A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long! I'm writing when I have time, trying to make everything perfect! Don't worry, I have not abandoned this fic! Thank you all for reviewing! I love hearing your feedback, and I am glad you are enjoying everything! I will be changing the title of this fic soon, (probably in a few days to avoid confusion with alerts and such) so if you see an alert for something along the lines of "Undisclosed Desires" or something of that nature, that is this fic! Thanks everyone for reading!_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lily flopped herself down on her bed, face first, using her pillow to soften a scream of frustration. This was the second night in a row that her mother insisted on discussing her upcoming date with Seth Macmillan. Several times she had considered revealing that she was actually, for all intents and purposed, seeing someone, but her mother would want proof for sure. Bringing home her mystery friend would not only complicate their rather fun and enjoyable situation, it would also reveal everything about her identity.

Thinking about him brought up a whole new field of questions and dilemmas. Would he be angry or upset if he knew she was going on dates with other people? Lily tried to block mental images of his soft hands sliding through a head of brown curls, his lips kissing those of another. Her cheeks reddened and she felt a stab of jealousy. They had never agreed to be exclusive during this little game of theirs. He could very well be in someone's bed right now, cries of pleasure echoing off of the walls, bed creaking under their frantic movements. He had never said anything about seeing someone else, but she couldn't eliminate the possibility that he could be. They were just all fun and games after all.

Lily shook her head. Her mother was right, her dating habits were a mess. She should give the arranged date a chance, out of politeness and out of the need to know what a real date felt like. It had been so long since she had been out with someone without her mental walls being put up. Well, technically she was with Storm, but that didn't count, they didn't count. She drew in a deep breath. He didn't need to know about the date she was going on, it shouldn't matter to him at all, she decided.

She needed someone sane to converse with, someone who would understand the unnecessary pressure provided by her mother. There was a knock at her door. Speak of the devil. "Maddie and I are looking at some more things for the wedding if you'd like to join us," her mother offered.

Lily smiled. "Oh, I was actually just about to go and see Al."

Her mother looked momentarily shocked. "Well make sure to bring him some food. Oh, and please tell your father and I who he is living with. He doesn't seem to want to tell us for whatever reason," her mother rambled.

Lily nodded and stood up from the bed. "First, I should probably make sure he's alive, right?" she joked.

Her mother smiled lightly. It had been a long time since they had heard from Al. She went to the kitchen, making sure to say hello to Maddie on the way, and grabbed the leftovers from their dinner to bring to her brother. She paused for a moment, trying to remember where her brother's flat was. She had only been there once, very briefly one night a few months ago. She shrugged and focused on a picture in her mind. Hopefully she wouldn't get herself splinched.

XxX

There was the unfamiliar ding in the living room, announcing the arrival of a guest. Scorpius looked over at his roommate questioningly, who sighed. "I'll check it out," he said, walking over to the muggle camera they had placed over their door step.

He sighed slightly, while Scorpius chuckled to himself. Obviously it was not company he was expecting. "Do you have any sisters?" his roommate asked.

Scorpius shook his head. "Only child."

"Okay, well before I open the door there is something I need to set straight," he said.

Scorpius nodded, looking up from his book slightly annoyed. He just wanted to read at the moment, was that really too much to ask? "You don't, under any circumstances, make a move on your roommate's younger sister," he said.

Scorpius nodded, turning his attention back to his book. "It'll be like I'm not even here."

"It bloody well better be," he said before he opened the door.

Scorpius turned his attention back to his book. A month and a half ago, he probably would have hit on Al's sister just for fun. If she was good looking, he probably would have even tried to pick her up for a date, or just for some fun to peeve his roommate. However, he felt unusually satisfied. Sure, he had not slept with his mystery beauty yet, but he was loving the intellectual connection they were having. Not to mention, she kissed like a dream, a very good dream... He drew in a deep breath and tried to focus on his book again, but his mind kept wandering back to their last date.

She volunteered to be a model for him to paint, and he had said yes! He didn't even know if he could hold a paint brush any more, but for some reason, he knew he had to paint her. He had to paint her face for sure, detailing her emerald eyes in such a way that they would pierce any admirer the way they did him. Then he needed to paint their situation. For this, half of her face would be covered in a mask. Perhaps he could paint her in only the mask...book, concentrate on the book!

It was impossible. Her face kept flashing in his head, and his ears were filled with the chatter of Al and his sister, Lily. Or at least that was what he thought he remembered her name to be. Scorpius stood up, intending on going back to his room. They were seated at the kitchen table, and he knew it would be extremely awkward to walk straight past them and into his room. Not to mention, completely rude. He made eye contact with Al, who paused his conversation.

"Er, Lily, this is my roommate," Al said, gesturing to Scorpius as he walked closer.

Scorpius watched her red curls bounce in her pony tail as she turned her head around. He saw her smirk lightly, a small tinge of pink coloring her cheeks. "You probably don't know him, he was my year at Hogwarts," Al explained as Scorpius drew nearer to take shake her hand.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he introduced himself.

Her green eyes opened a bit wider. "Lily Potter," she replied, shaking his hand.

She was very pretty. Scorpius glanced at Al quickly before deciding to have a bit of fun. He brought her hand up to his face and kissed it lightly. "Pleasure to meet you," he smiled.

He watched her cheeks burn even brighter. Al kicked him from under the table, and Scorpius dropped her hand. "Hey, my sister, remember?" he scowled.

"Your brother never mentioned that his sister was so pretty," Scorpius flirted, ignoring Al's protests.

"Oh he's very protective of me," she laughed.

"Well Lily it is time for you to go," Al said, standing up, glaring at Scorpius.

"Well then, it was nice meeting you," she said, standing up to leave.

He nodded and continued off to his room. He had just closed her door when he heard her softly say, "Wait until mum and dad hear your roommate is Malfoy!" He laughed lightly as he heard Al close the door in her face. If she wanted to see a good reaction to that news, she should seek out his parents and tell them. The history between their families had not been the best, although since the war had ended, they had certainly been on better terms. But, as Scorpius constantly reminded himself, correcting your family's past wrongs takes a lot of time, especially when those wrongs were done in favor of the Dark Lord.

His father had told him all about his family's role in the war, and it was not pleasant at all. The stories scared him, and would have even more if his father hadn't watered them down for his eleven year old ears. His father had said that he needed to know why some kids might treat him differently when they heard his name. His father had told him not to listen to them, to know that he was not at all part of his families past choices and situations. Scorpius Malfoy was the next generation, the change in the Malfoy family legacy. He was a boy raised with proper manners, a proper education, and a respect for all human life.

Surprisingly, there were relatively few of his classmates at Hogwarts that recognized his name. Either their parents had done a good thing by not listing specific names, or they had not divulged the entire history behind the war because the grief for them was still too near. Also surprisingly, the Potter children were among those who did not flinch at his name, and Scorpius knew it was not because they were oblivious. They, like him, were just trying to go through their lives as normally as possible. His friendship with Al had grown naturally this way, both desiring the normal life of the teenage wizard; one filled with food, Quidditch, friends, and of course, pretty girls.

Eventually, Scorpius had been the one to tell Al about the history between their families as a reason why a summer visit might be slightly awkward. It was the only time that the topic was ever discussed between them. Their friendship was not exactly a secret, there was no need for it to be. Both of their parents knew about it, acknowledged it, but they were never sure how they would deal with the pair living together as roommates.

Scorpius shook his head out of his reverie as he found himself standing in front of his old school trunk. He knelt down and pulled up the golden latches. He lifted the heavy lid, revealing his set of paint brushes and scrapped canvases. He put all thoughts of his family name and Al and his sister out of his mind. It was time to get to work.

XxX

Lily went over the contents in her bag of holding one last time, making sure that she had everything for her date with Storm that night. Their next two dates would not be split into two parts as the previous date had been. Their date tonight was going to be more of a social date. Based on their previous date, she figured she would learn about his past and any troubles or dark times it brought. She would probably be expected to share the same information, encompassing his questions about her past relationships (heart breaks, clinginess etc.). She was in charge of coordinating the first date, and was due to meet him at their usual aparation spot in Hogsmeade in a few short minutes.

She still hadn't decided if she wanted to tell him about her arranged date. Partially because she didn't want to offend his feelings, but mostly because she didn't want to know if he was seeing other girls. Her dreams that had previously been filled with images of red and blonde hair and his voice saying her name had recently been replaced by images of him sharing dates, kisses, and more with an unknown, very pretty brunette or blonde witch. She also did not want to know if the game he was playing with her was a game he played often. For the first few dates, she had convinced herself that this was his first time in this situation as well. However, now she was having second thoughts. Curse her stupid, over analyzing, emotional mind.

She fixed the satin bows on her lacy over top on last time before she disapparated from her room.

XxX

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Lily asked, swirling the remaining wine in her glass as she watched the sun set over the grassy hills of the countryside.

"The tough stuff," her date responded, conjuring a backrest cushion for them to lean back on.

Lily laid back into his open arms, careful not to disrupt the wine glass he was still holding. "I'm no good at talking about the tough stuff," she complained teasingly.

He smiled and rolled his eyes jokingly. "Come on, you are a pretty girl, we are on our 3rd date, and I've given you almost two glasses of wine. You should have been divulging your memories, both feared at treasured, about an hour ago."

She hit his shoulder lightly. "I'm not like that at all," she said.

"Normally, neither am I. But considering our accelerated dating situation…I guess you could say that if we have five total dates, consider each one to be a new year in our 'relationship.' Being three years in, I'm pretty sure we can tell each other just about anything," he joked again.

"Where do we even start?" she asked. "I mean how can we even say anything about our past and our family without giving away our identities?"

He shrugged. "Be careful, tell some general stories that could apply to anyone," he said.

Lily sighed. Maybe this would have been true for most families. Most families went through a similar experience in the war. They lost loved ones, went into hiding, fought in the front lines of battle. This was true for some of her family members, but she grew up with the hero as her father. She and her brothers had been treated differently by others their whole lives. No, there was no way that he'd understand her properly if she couldn't tell him this. So, she would have to settle for telling him about the rest of her family, and maybe hint that her parents played a more significant role.

She inhaled deeply, her nose flooded with the spiced smell of his cologne. Her body felt the warmth of his arms around her and suddenly she felt safe. She felt as if she could actually tell him the one genuine story about her family and past that she had grown up with her whole life, but never really dealt with. But how do you explain that the family member you love the most is one that you have never met?

She drew in another deep breath and opened her mouth before she lost her courage. "It's strange talking about the war sometimes. I mean, everyone understands it, everyone knows what everyone else is going through, yet everyone seems to have a different story."

She felt his chin nod against her forehead. "Different family, different story," he commented.

Lily noted the slight tension in his voice and could tell that he was going to have a hard time talking about this topic as well. "We're the next generation, born into broken families. Or at least that is how I've always felt," she began. "When I was young I had this immediate connection to one of my uncles. He would joke with me, give me supplies to play jokes on my brothers, give me candies that made my hair turn purple," she laughed lightly, remembering her younger days with her uncle George.

"One day when I just before I left for my first year at Hogwarts, we were celebrating the engagement between my uncle and his fiancée. I decided to give them a toast. It had everyone laughing. Afterward, my uncle and his fiancée came to give their thanks and she said, 'Fred would have been proud.' I saw my uncle's face harden slightly at her words. And, naturally, being eleven I blurted out, 'Who's Fred?' Everyone grew quite.

"My family was lucky enough to only lose one person, but it was someone important, almost the life of the family. I'm not really sure if everyone has gotten over it even today. It's almost like they've covered it up. I never knew my uncle, but I can still feel a hole in my grandmother's house where he should be."

She could feel a light burn in her eyes. "My mother talked to me that night, telling me all about her brother who had died in the war. She said that I had been the only one who had really been able to make my uncle smile after his twin had died, that everyone had felt a sense of comfort in my jokes."

She dew in another breath and let it out slowly. "But now, whenever my grandmum looks at me, I know that she sees her dead son. Her eyes will go blank for a few seconds before a smile forms on her lips. And that was when I became totally lost, totally obsessed with trying to become someone that wasn't my uncle, someone that didn't have my family and its troubles. I wanted to find my own self and my own place in my family and in life. I don't want to fill in the gap for someone that is gone," she said, feeling a tear fall down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

Xxx

Scorpius drew in a breath, realizing that it must have been very hard for her to talk about this memory from her past. From the rattled sounds of her breath, he guessed she was crying lightly, and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. After a few moments of her silence, he decided that the appropriate thing to do was to share a story about his own past. "The woman in the painting was my grandmother," he started.

He felt her twitch slightly in his arms, realizing he must have stirred her from a continuing deep thought. "As I mentioned, my family was unfortunately dragged into the war on the side of evil. Well, my grandfather chose to join alongside of his friends from school. He never really had any backbone or will of his own; he depended way too much on the acceptance of his friends. When he married my grandmother, she was forced to join as well under threats and blackmail. Despite his love for her, my grandfather pushed her into joining the cause even more. She was much younger than he was, he was twenty-two when she had finished her last year at Hogwarts and insisted on marrying her that same summer. She told me her story the summer after my fourth year at school, or at least I think that is the year we learned about the war," he mused.

He felt her head nod against his chest. "Just before I entered Hogwarts, my father had told me about my family's role in the war, which obviously I cannot give you too many details," he said. "But at eleven, I didn't really understand what it meant to be on the 'evil' side. That year in school, after learning about all of the death and destruction caused, the number of lives lost, after hearing my classmates share stories like yours about their broken families, I felt ashamed about my past. I felt guilty in a way, almost if part of it was my fault."

"But it wasn't," she interrupted, sitting up on her elbow and looking him in the eyes.

"I know," he said, pulling her head back down to his chest. "My grandmother told me a more accurate account of my family's role, about the blackmail and how, in the end, she ended up doing something that directly ended the war."

"Did people at school ever treat you differently because of your name?" she asked suddenly.

Scorpius hesitated for a few seconds before answering. "Sometimes, mostly by the parents of my classmates actually," he laughed lightly. "Actually, the person I grew up with that should resent me the most was the one who understood the most," he said thinking of Al. "I tried my hardest not to judge people based on their family's role in the war. It was a subject that rarely came up actually," he said.

He felt her nod again. "It's like it was the taboo topic, almost like you really didn't want to know."

Scorpius pulled her face level with his, staring into her glassy green eyes; they truly resembled emeralds at that moment. "We can heal each other, our generation," he said softly.

"Get rid of the lines between good and evil," she said, moving her face closer to his.

He slowly moved his hand to brush a red curl out of her face. "You're so beautiful," he whispered before kissing her lips softly.

XxX

Lily drew in a deep breath, his soft words echoing in her ears. She moved his lips lightly against his in return, tasting the remorse and guilt of his past which lingered on his lips. She kissed him harder this time, wanting to remove those hurtful feelings. She felt his other arm maneuver around her waist as the first hand played with her hair. He parted his lips, biting lightly at her bottom one, causing shivers to run up her spine. She parted her lips and their tongues met softly, needing the others touch. She pulled her hands through his silky hair, tugging lightly at it causing his breathing to pick up.

She felt him lean into her and allowed him roll his body lightly on top of hers without breaking the connection between their lips. He propped himself up slightly on his elbows, but kept a light amount of pressure on her body, one of his legs between her own. She kissed him more deeply, feeling a moan vibrate through his body. She slipped a hand underneath his dark green shirt, needing to know more of his body.

She slowly dragged her hand down his chest, feeling the outline of his muscles, loving the feeling of his warm skin against her cold hands. He shivered again as her hand traveled lower and lower to his hips. Her natural instincts at that moment propelled her hand to pull at his belt buckle. Her hand was immediately covered by his as he sighed huskily. "We shouldn't," he said. "Not tonight."

Lily nodded as she opened her eyes. He laid back down on his back, exhaling deeply. She rolled over, curling her arm on his chest and up to his opposite ear, fingers idly flicking his lobe. Her head settled on his chest where she could hear his heart beating erratically. He could heal her, she knew, and perhaps she could heal him as well.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this has taken forever! I had been writing bits and pieces whenever I got the chance between school and work, but I hope it was worth the wait! Good news: my finals are over on December 8th at 5:30 pm, which means I can dedicate a lot more time to all of my fics. This one has about two chapter remaining, and I know exactly what each one is; the plot and dialogue has been floating around in my head since I started this fic, slowly developing. The next chapter will be a good one, as long as I can write it properly. I hope you all continue to enjoy it! Thanks for reviewing, it keeps me motivated, even if it doesn't seem like it. Truly, thank you!

ALSO: I mentioned briefly in the first chapter that the enchantment used makes the person unrecognizable to everyone that sees them except for 1.) relatives and 2.) people who figure out who they are. I am going to try to explain more about this enchantment in the last few chapters. When the enchantment is not in place he sees her as Lily Potter and she sees him as Scorpius Malfoy. So in Scorpius's mind for example, Lily is not the same person as the Queen. The enchantment does not allow his mind to make the connection. Hopefully then it will make more sense in the final few chapters!


	5. Chapter 5  Part 1

**A/N:** Hey everyone (finally). This chapter was growing ridiculously long, and I am still not happy/finished with the second half yet, so I decided to post the first part that I was happy with. I didn't want you all to wait even longer when you could read something right now. So, the second half will hopefully be up with in the week. It is almost done!

**Chapter 5 – Part 1**

"Here, I'll take you home," Seth Macmillan offered sweetly, holding his arm out to her.

Lily nodded as she looped her arm through his. After a few moments of the familiar apparation sensation, they arrived at the end of her driveway. Seth kept his arm looped around hers and began leading her to her front porch. Lily felt butterflies in her stomach when she realized that this date was about as 'close to the book' as could be; he was going to kiss her goodnight on her front porch, and her family reading the evening prophet would be none the wiser.

It was the most normal date she had ever been on. It was strange, yet slightly calming, she mused. It gave her a sense of security, knowing that she would be able to predict Seth's actions. Yes, he would kiss her on her porch, then a few days later he would contact her for a second date. This request would probably be accompanied by a floral arrangement or sweet treat. If she said yes, their next date would consist of a walk in the park and ice cream with sprinkles and sharing ridiculously red cherries.

Her heart began racing, her mind riddled with panic. This was what she needed in her life, wasn't it? She needed stability, a man she could predict and depend on...but it all felt so wrong! Where was the fun? The adventure? _Growing up isn't about adventures. You don't live like the people in your story books_, her mind pointed out. _You may be the daughter of someone famous, but your life is utterly normal._

She sighed. Seth was everything she could have hoped for from a normal boyfriend. He had remained unfocused on her family's noble past and stayed genuinely interested in her, in what she had to say. She found him fairly interesting and amusing to talk to as well, she admitted as they climbed the steps of her wooden porch. Her parents had left the light on, as usual.

They stopped moving, and Seth took both of her hands in his. This was it, she told herself. This is your shot at normal. She smiled nervously and looked into his eyes. They were brown, a very handsome shade of brown, but she felt nothing looking into them. There was no excitement, no desire, no nothing! They lacked everything that a certain pair of gray eyes had...

Then they were gone, and Lily only had seconds to make up her mind and react. She turned her face to the side slightly and felt his lips touch her cheek. He pulled back, and she could tell he was trying to hide his surprise. "Well I had a great time tonight," he said, letting go of her hands.

Lily nodded. "Me too," she replied.

"Can I see you again sometime?"

Lily drew in a breath. The million dollar question. She thought of Storm briefly, along with their two remaining dates. After two dates they would be no more. After two dates, it was time to return to a normal, suitable life. "Yes," she whispered, forcing herself to smile.

Seth smiled back at her. "Great, look for my owl," he said as Lily let herself into her house.

She nodded and waved politely. When she had closed the door behind her, she slid down it to the ground. She had survived her first normal date. Her mother would be so proud, she thought as she dragged herself up off of the floor. She magically flicked the porch light off and headed upstairs to her room, bypassing the living room where her parents were reading and chatting softly. She refused to conform to the normal 'excited daughter' facade. Not happening.

She flopped down on her bed and laid there in silence until she heard the door to her parents' room close a half an hour later. She then sat up, flicked on her desk lamp, and wandered over to her mirror. There, she sat down and stared at her face. This wasn't the type of staring some girls do out of vanity or fear that their face is aging too quickly. Lily was examining herself as a person, staring into her own eyes for answers.

The topic of the night: How on Earth was she going to adapt to a normal life?

She was done with Hogwarts, and was considered an adult in the wizarding world. She had a job and a career path chosen, so that was a plus, she thought as she looked at the permanently reddened area just above her collar bone – potion mishap during her second week of work. She had no criminal record, also a plus. She still lived with her parents, which was a neutral fact at this point in her life. She had no one else to live with, and no reason to move out at the moment. She had no steady boyfriend, a slight minus, although after tonight she saw that she was capable of leading a normal, traditional dating life.

She groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. What did she want? Clearly the night had not been a disaster, and she had even found herself having fun. Seth had negated her greatest fear about dating – that the boy would be more interested in her father, her family's legacy, and her fortune. Seth had proven that there are people out there who would date her just because she was who she was – her own person.

He had been a perfect gentleman. He had picked her up on time, taken her out for a very nice dinner at a place which allowed easy talking. He listened to her, and made comments that let her know that he really was listening to what she was saying. He, in return, told her about his own life, his job, family, and even some funny stories from his Hogwarts days. He made her feel at ease.

But, she also got all of that from Storm... but then again he didn't know who she was. Yet, he seemed to understand her fears of not being seen for who she really is. After their last date, she had learned that his family had been on the side of Voldemort, and had confessed that there had been some judgment passed on him as he grew up. Even though some people might be turned off by the fact that their boyfriend's parents and grandparents had wanted her father dead, she felt even closer to him. She felt that they now shared a common bond, like two outsiders brought together.

He made her feel special, not because she was Harry Potter's daughter, but because of who she really was. He was ridiculously attractive and was constantly surprising her. He listened to her, dared her to show him her true self. But, she thought sadly, they only had two dates left. She thought back to her list she had given him. What was left on it? She blushed, remembering that she had boldly requested to know his greatest fantasy and to know their physical compatibility.

Lily frowned suddenly. Could she really do it? Could she let things get that intimate between them and then just walk away from it all? _You're making this all too complicated_, the voice inside of her head told her. She groaned inwardly. She felt a sudden flash of guilt after remembering their last date. She had shared a story with him that she had never, ever, told anyone else, and she was pretty sure that he had never told anyone about the painting, or the story behind it. And what had she done just a few days later? She went on a date with another guy.

Now she knew the real reason she couldn't bring herself to allow Seth to kiss her on her front porch: part of her would have considered it cheating. Everything that she had been working so hard to suppress before the date came flooding back into her. Was it cheating or foul play if she was casually seeing two guys? Technically, she wasn't dating either of them. Seth was a set up by her parents, and Storm is...Storm is just a game.

That thought made her sick with guilt and insecurity again. How could she think that after what they had shared so far? Did he think that about her? Was this really such a good idea?

As if to answer her question, the snake charm grew warm against her chest. _I hope it isn't against the rules for this date to be a weekend outing,_ the script read. _Meet me next Friday at the usual place. Pack for sunny weather._

Her stomach fluttered. A whole weekend alone with him! _This isn't going to help any, you know_, the voice commented in her head. She gritted her teeth. She could stick this out. She would just need to mentally prepare herself for the end she knew was coming. They had both agreed, and they both had to honor that agreement.

She held the snake up to her lips and said exactly what she was thinking.

XxX

A few moments after sending her the message, the snake figure in his pocket grew warm. Scorpius pulled it out of his pocket and read, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He smiled to himself as he walked to the bathroom to wash the paint off of his hands. This weekend was certainly going to be unforgettable. The idea of taking her to his family's summer home first popped into his head shortly after they left each other after their last date. He had laughed at his thoughts at first, the old cliched "Life has been hard, let's take a vacation!" idea. But then he considered it more seriously.

He could take her sailing, they could sleep in, cook meals, not be constrained by time. He would be able to paint her in a secluded place, free from prying eyes. They could also do other things free from prying eyes... he could set up the perfect romantic weekend rendezvous...or would she consider that too cheesy? He smiled to himself. He could be romantic without being cheesy.

He apparated moments later to his cottage. There were some preparations to make. He flicked on the lights and was relieved to see that the anti-dust charm his mother had put on all of their furniture was working perfectly. That would make everything so much easier. He strolled upstairs and began opening windows to air the place out. He did want to keep the rustic cottage smell, but this was just over powering. His family hadn't been here in quite some time, since his father received the huge promotion at work during his seventh year at school.

Scorpius walked to the bathrooms and tested all of the faucets and toilets to ensure no pipe damage. Everything seemed to be working as it should be. Next, the kitchen. He closed his eyes as he opened the giant fridge. When the smell of rotting food failed to meet his nose, he opened them slowly. He was staring into a completely empty fridge. Not too much of a problem, he could easily buy whatever he needed from the store up the road.

Although, there was one thing missing that he would not be able to find at that store. He moved around the kitchen, opening all of the cabinets, and even ventured into the small cellar with no luck. The house was completely dry. This called for a trip to Malfoy Manor.

Thankfully his parents were away on one of his father's business trips to France, leaving him free to get exactly what he wanted from the house. He walked lazily through the long hallway, taking a left just before the end. This lead him to the kitchens. He headed towards the back and lifted the trap door next to the pantry. Using his wand for light, he lowered himself into his family's most prized wine cellar.

Draco and Astoria were not particularly fond of the stuff, but his grandparents and their parents were wine fanatics. They had been collecting their whole lives. There was wine hundreds of years old from all different countries at his disposal. He headed to the rack conveniently labeled 'favorites' until he found the bottle of aged French wine his grandmother had always talked about. On her birthday about a decade ago, she had requested that he pull it up from the cellar for her. He was rewarded with his first taste of alcohol. He was sure it was the best thing he would ever taste in his entire life, and he wanted to share it this weekend.

He sniffed the cork lightly, imagining the scent of Narcissa's perfume and the sound of her joyous laughter. "I wish you were still with me," he sighed, lifting the bottle safely to the floor of the kitchen above.

XxX

Lily sent one final owl off to her cousin Dominique before shrinking her weekend bag small enough to fit in her pocket. Aunt Fluer and Uncle Bill were gone for the weekend celebrating their anniversary, and Dom was nice enough to cover for her weekend out. It was too perfect really. Her parents couldn't complain about her spending the weekend with her cousin.

Her eyes fixed on the white lily and parchment sitting on her desk; Seth's request for a second date. Lily drew in a deep breath to drown her conflicting guilty feelings. She then disapparated right from her room after making sure that she wasn't forgetting anything. She moved to place her wand back in her pocket, when she felt something sticky. "The strawberries!" she groaned, grabbing her bag out of her pocket. Well, there went her contribution to the weekend. She sighed and quickly scorgified the mess before her date showed up.

A man in dark sunglasses was suddenly standing in front of her. She was about to open her mouth to tell him to bugger off when he lifted the glasses to reveal a familiar face. "Ready for some fun in the sun?" he asked her, wiggling his eye brows.

Lily laughed lightly. "I'm having fun already," she said. "My skin is nearly burning off and I've been standing here not but two minutes."

He laughed. "My turn to teach you about a muggle invention. It's called sunscreen."

She smirked. "They have a charm to protect you from the sun, you do know that right?" she replied.

He smirked. "But what fun is that?"

Then they were gone. He had grabbed her arm without her realizing it, sly fox.

Lily opened her eyes only to find more blackness; he had swiftly moved his hands to cover her eyes. "Alright potions master," he whispered. "Let's see if your other senses are as good as your sense of taste."

Lily smiled. "You're on," she replied.

She kicked of her shoes, and was greeted by a warm, grainy smooth substance filling the spaces between her toes. She could hear the calls of birds and the crashes of waves behind her. She inhaled a deep breath, filling her nose with the smell of- "The sea," she said.

She felt his warm lips kiss the back of her neck. "Yes, my Queen," he confirmed while turning her around. "And this will be your castle during your stay."

She felt the light pressure of his hands removed from her eyes. She allowed them to flutter open, being careful not to blind herself in the sun shine. She gasped lightly. In front of her was a two story summer cottage, complete with green shutters, a winding gravel drive, and picnic table. "Is this yours?" she asked.

"Technically it belongs to my parents, but they rarely ever come here," he said, walking on in front of her. "Would you like to come in for the grand tour?" he asked her, flourishing his arms in front of him.

She laughed lightly. "Of course, lead the way."

XxX

"Oh my!" he heard her shriek suddenly.

He looked up at her to see the tan rope circling her pale legs. "I think I need some help!" she called to him.

He chuckled lightly to himself. "I leave you in charge of the ropes for one minute and you manage to get yourself tangled."

Her green eyes pierced his skin. "We are headed straight towards that seaweed bed, so you best get your butt over here unless you want an even bigger mess to untangle," she threatened.

Scorpius was by her in an instant. "It's really not that hard," he said as he quickly untangled her from the mess she had made.

"Speak for yourself, you're the sailor here," she teased.

"Alright, take a break tiger," he said as he took the sail ropes from her.

He heard her giggle as she went to sit on the blanket behind him. "Enjoying the view?" he asked her, casting a glance over his shoulder.

She wrinkled her nose at him. "It would be better if your big bum wasn't in the way."

His mouth formed a wide 'O' as he laughed. "Well I'm sorry for the _huge_ inconvenience."

They were quite for a few moments, and he found himself quite lost in the trees and flowers they were passing. He felt so much at ease here with her, a complete opposition to his sailing trips with his grandfather years ago. Lucius had taught him the ropes (literally), but had always been very stern and critical about Scorpius's sailing techniques. With her, it was just fun and relaxing.

"Mmm, it's really hot out here. Care to get my back?"

He turned around to see her holding out the brown bottle of sun screen to him. "Are you a witch or not?" he teased her, remembering the comment she had made about sun repellent charms.

"But where's the fun in that?" she asked, smiling devilishly at him.

"We could crash you know," he said.

She raised her eye brows. "Are you a wizard or not?" she mocked.

He rolled his eyes. "I'd hate for my skin to be all blotchy and red for your painting," she said.

He cast a navigation spell on the sails and went to help his damsel in distress. He pulled the bottle from her hands. "Thank you," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

Scorpius grimaced at the squelching noise made by the bottle. He never did like the sound. She pulled her long red waves out of his way and into a black elastic, and he began working the lotion into her skin. "Mmm right there," she said as he arrived at her lower back.

He shook his head at her back. "I fell right into your little trap didn't I?"

"Hey, moving those ropes is quite the work out for a novice sailor," she replied.

"Oh your a novice now are you?" he joked.

"I believe I am."

"Well," he said standing up. "right over there looks like a very artistic spot for a painting."

She nodded in agreement, but Scorpius noticed her body grow slightly more rigid. He held out his hand to her. "You can prove your novice ability by directing us to that piece of beach," he said, pulling her to her feet.

He placed the rope in her hands and stood behind her. He grasped her hands in his, guiding them to pull the sails just right to lead them on track. He felt her relax into his arms as he pulled their bodies together.

"Will you help me?" she asked as she began to move the sail lightly.

Knowing that she was talking about more than just getting them to the beach, he replied, "You will be perfect," and kissed her lightly on the exposed section of her neck.

She was quiet and her body grew steadily warmer against his as he softly guided her arms to move them to shore. With a little magic, the boat glided smoothly onto the sand of the beach. She had moved in his arms to face him, her green eyes staring up at his face. He could see a bit of fear in them. He cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly on her lips.

When he pulled back again, he was glad to see a light smile tugging up the corners of her pink lips. "Shall we?" he smiled, stepping onto the sand. He offered his hand to her.

She took it and gracefully stepped down from the boat. He twirled her once, dance style, watching the sun rays bounce off of her hair. He turned and summoned his canvas and supplies as she headed farther onto land. "Where would you like me?" she asked.

Scorpius caught a lingering tone of nervousness in her voice. "Sit yourself right there," he responded.

"How?" she asked as she sat down and leaned back on her arms.

He pulled his hand through his hair, hoping she wouldn't take offense to what he wanted. "Whatever is comfortable for you, I kind of just wanted to paint your eyes for now."

She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Not that you don't look great," he tried to cover. "It's just...your eyes..."

She nodded as she blushed. "My father said they were my grandmother's," she said softly as he sat across from her.

He laughed. "Think you'll look like her when you grow older?" he joked.

She frowned. "I'm already older than her."

Scorpius nodded, not sure what to say. "It's okay though," she said quickly, seeing his guilt.

He spotted something out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "Perfect," he said as he stood up and walked towards the edge of the wood.

He felt her eyes follow him. He walked over to the patch of growing flowers to examine them more closely. With a quick spell he was able to manipulate the tulip he saw. What used to be a plain yellow tulip developed whisps of red on each delicate petal. He walked over to her and resumed his seat across from her, using another spell to open the petals of the tulip. Her eyes questioned him. "It's a variegated tulip. They mean-"

"Beautiful eyes," she whispered, looking at the flower.

He nodded. He watched as she pulled her hair out of the elastic holder and framed her curls around her face. She then took the flower from him and held it just below her nose, allowing a finger with a painted pink nail lay softly across the lower part of the front petals. "Like this?" she asked directing her gaze directly into his eyes.

He nodded wordlessly as he reached out to sweep her bangs a bit more out of her eyes. A red blush crept up her cheeks, seemingly stemming from the tulip. The perfect final touch, he thought as he grasped the paint brush in his hand.

XxX

Scorpius was transfixed by his finished product, knowing deep down that he would never be able to part with it like he had originally intended. He needed those eyes to get lost in.

"What's your fantasy?" she asked suddenly when they were almost back at his parent's cottage. "I mean, as a painter."

He was taken off guard for a moment. "Uhh, well," he started, feeling a blush grow in his cheeks. Where was the cool wind when he needed it. "I'd like to paint a model in all of her beauty, with nothing to hide behind," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

He saw her nod. "You hungry?" he asked while he tied the boat to the dock and folded the sails down.

"Oh yes," she said, smiling at him again.

He looked at the sky. "Well we better get something to hold us over then," he said, helping her onto the wooden dock.

"Um, it's like six...isn't this like dinner time?" she laughed.

"Nope," he replied. "Still a few more hours till sunset."

* * *

A/N: Well, again, I apologize for making you wait a while between chapters again! As I stated at the beginning of this chapter, the second part should be up soon. Just need to wrap it up and make a few changes. Another good note (or bad depending on how you look at it): I have also been simultaneously writing the ending to this piece, so I know exactly what will happen and how. I've written a fair amount of the ending, so that should also be up relatively quickly after the second half of this chapter. Probably 3 updates left! Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed! I love reading all of your comments and pleas for me to continue, they really keep me going. Sorry for the confusion with the last chapter and the 'masking' spell. This spell will be explained fully in chapter 6. Thanks for your patience and overall awesomeness!


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

**A/N: **Here it is! The second part to chapter 5. I'm pretty happy with it for the most part! The M rated scene is in this chapter, marked by **BOLD Xs and a Begin and End point**, so if you are uncomfortable reading you can skip. I tried to keep it very tasteful. Enjoy!

**Chapter 5 – Part 2**

"I can see why this was your grandmother's favorite," Lily said, taking another sip of the light colored liquid in her glass.

She heard him hum in reply. "She used to tell me it was her favorite because it was bottled the same year I was born," he said. "But after she let me have a sip a few years ago, I knew the real reason she loved it so much."

She felt her hand automatically slide to squeeze his lightly. "Oh," he said suddenly, reaching back towards the picnic basket in front of them. "She always told me that the best birthday gift in the entire world would consist of this wine and these," he said holding out a white cardboard box.

Lily took it from him, smiling, and opened the lid curiously. "Oh my, these look absolutely wonderful," she gasped.

"My grandmother said that the wine was fully completed when paired with chocolate covered strawberries," he said as he lifted one delicately by its perfectly green stem.

She leaned forward and took a bite out of the sweet he was offering to her. She closed her eyes in delight as sweet juiciness of the fruit was complemented by the slight bitterness of its dark chocolate coat. She followed the fruit with the proper sized sip of wine. "Simply brilliant," she muttered, eyes still closed.

She heard him chuckle lightly next to her. They spent the next hour or so indulging themselves on the spectacular dessert and drink combination, enjoying the sunset, and talking before, "Well we should probably be heading in. I want to show you some more of the waters tomorrow," he said, holding his hand out to her.

It was only then that Lily realized what would logically happen next. They had just spent the better part of the day together, which ended with him cooking her a fantastic meal and sharing one of his most favorite memories of his grandmother with her. Nights like this usually ended with...her heart started beating faster as he pulled her to her feet.

Could she do it? It had been so long since...she was embarrassed to admit how long. Would it matter? Would he be able to tell? What if he wanted more than just that? Her experiences were very limited.

Lily suddenly felt very dizzy and hot. "You're oddly quiet," he observed as they walked into the cottage. "Are you feeling alright?"

This was her escape, she could play chicken with just one word. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you to bed. You are probably exhausted from all of your expert sailing," he joked, leading her upstairs.

Lily was slightly relieved when he steered her towards the guest room. "There's the bathroom just down the hall," he said, flicking on the light. "And, well, I'll be staying right next door I guess."

All she could do was nod and smile silently. "Let me know if you need something, okay?" he said awkwardly.

Lily nodded. "I think I'm just tired. The wine must be catching up to me as well," she said softly.

He smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Goodnight then," he said as he kissed her on her forehead.

Lily sighed and sunk onto the bed as the door closed behind him. Could that have been anymore awkward? She barely said anything to him; she hadn't even thanked him for the meal! She laid back in the bed, sighing softly. She needed to get a grip.

XxX

Lily flipped over in the bed again, unable to sleep. Why, oh why had she froze like that? She had been thinking of nothing else for the past few hours. He probably thought that she was some kind of prude or tease or something. It's not that she didn't want to do anything with him, especially after all of the flirting and fun they had been having earlier that day, she just wanted it to mean something more than it had the last time. Not to mention the fact that it had been a few years and she was utterly lacking in experience.

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed. All she could hear was the deafening sound of the wind, the rain on the window pain, and the light _drip drip, _as some drops slipped through a crack in the ceiling and into an old pot. She felt so alone...

XxX

There was a soft click as the door to his master suite opened and closed. He felt the covers and the mattress shift ever so slightly, before the scent of vanilla and amber filled his nose. He rolled over to face his guest. "Hey," he whispered.

"Sorry if I woke you!" she said frantically. "It's just...well the wind was howling and there was a leak in the ceiling, and I just-"

Scorpius placed his lips onto hers. Too much talking for just waking up. He couldn't comprehend half of what she was saying. This was better in so many ways, he thought as he kissed her surprised lips lightly.

"His name was Lysander," she said as she pulled away suddenly.

"Who?" Scorpius asked in confusion...weren't they just kissing a moment ago?

"My first real everything," she responded, cheeks reddening. "My first boyfriend, first kiss, first heart break..."

He nodded. This was one of her topics, he remembered. "What happened?" he asked, trying to clear his sleepy mind.

There was silence for a few moments. "He...well...I should have been smarter with him," she said quietly. "I guess I was used by him."

"When you said first everything..."

He felt her nod fiercely against her chest. "Yes, first that too," she admitted. "It's just that I've been having such a good time with you, and I know that I bravely stated at the beginning that I wanted to...with you, but I guess I'm a bit..."

"Scared? Nervous?" he suggested as he hugged her tighter against his chest.

"Is that terrible of me?" she asked, looking up at him.

Scorpius shook his head. "I want you to be comfortable with whatever happens between us," he said softly as she buried her face in his neck.

He moved so he could look her in the face again. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"You're so different than he was, so different from all of them," she mused.

Not sure how to respond at the moment, he just pulled her closer to him. He didn't believe he was any different than any other guy out there, or any respectable guy anyway. He would not push her to do anything she didn't want to do, but that didn't mean he was thrilled with her fears. Then again, any other guy would have probably set up a night exactly like the one they had shared for the sole purpose of getting her into his bed. He, however, had planned their night for fun and because he knew she'd enjoy it. Waking tangled with her naked body would have just been icing on the cake.

But this, he thought as he felt her breathing slow against his neck, this was probably the next best thing.

XxX

Scorpius was pacing nervously outside of the door to his room. This had certainly been unexpected. He had started the day by making them a delicious breakfast, followed by a leisurely float down one of the channels branching off of his lake. They were chatting, flirting, laughing, when suddenly she grew quiet again, almost just like she had the previous night. He could tell she was nervous about something, what he wasn't quite sure.

Then she had looked up at him, cheeks pink as roses, and said nervously, "I think I'd like to model for you again. You know, the way you said yesterday, fill your painter's fantasy."

He didn't even want to imagine the dumbfounded look on his face. "Although," she had continued, "I would like to cover up just a bit – not too comfortable with the idea of all of France seeing all of me."

He had nodded his head, pretty sure his mouth was wide open still. "Mask," he had stuttered moronically. "Portray our situation."

She had laughed lightly at this, whether it was at him or from nerves, he couldn't be sure. She had agreed, saying that it was an accurate representation of their experience so far.

And there he was, waiting for her to lay herself out on the fresh, crisp white sheets he had piled on the bed. Hearing the light sounds of clothing hitting the flooring made him realize that this was actually happening. It was a crazy mix of nerves, excitement, and desire pulsing through his veins. He was pretty sure that, had he been holding a wand, all sorts of sparks would be flying out of the tip.

"Alright," a voice said from the other side of the closed door, causing him to jump lightly. "You can come in now."

Scorpius entered the room after letting out a deep breath, only to choke as he inhaled again after seeing her laying on the bed in front of him. He had taken a few seconds to prepare himself, but the effort was in vain. She had covered up her – ah – feminine parts, but had left all of her other curves exposed. She had selected a wire gold mask with crystal beads woven into the elegant design. It covered her nose, and rested on her cheek bones extending up at an angle to the tops of her ears. The eye holes were perfect in that he could still see the brilliance of their color and shape. The way her loosely curled hair was paired with the gold mask and the loose white sheet snaking around her made her look like a Greek goddess. "Um, you look...wow," he sputtered.

He watched her cheeks flush to a dark pink color again. "Yeah, I get that a lot," she said in an attempt to sound brave and nonchalant.

It was his turn to laugh nervously at her forwardness. He conjured a chair across from her and summoned his blank canvas, brushes, and other supplies. He stared at her again, taking in her full appearance, and automatically moved his hand out to adjust the portion of the sheet covering her breasts, making it lay in a more symmetric fashion. He blushed as his fingertips grazed her bare skin as he evened out a fold in the sheet. He sat back in his chair and began, wanting to preserve her forever on this currently blank canvas.

XxX

She could still feel her cheeks burning from when he had adjusted her sheet, and was glad he had not yet began adding colored details to the canvas yet. There was no way she wanted to have a tomato-red face in his painting. Lily watched the slow progressive movements of his arm across the canvas, imagining what he was painting at the time. It had truthfully been slightly awkward at first, neither really knowing what to say. She did, however, feel a rush of the familiar Gryffindor courage and confidence when she realized that he had never done this with another girl before. She was the first one he would paint like this. That made her smile inwardly.

She watched him closely as he changed colors, blushing when his eyes spent longer and longer times staring at her body. After a while, Merlin knows exactly how long, she began to feel more natural, as if this was normal for them. She stopped blushing under his stares, and began to feel like a woman. He was turning her plain, boring body into a work of art – something she found very, very attractive.

She started to feel the familiar butterfly sensation and warmth she felt when they were intimately close. As she watched him move the paint brush across the canvas, she imagined his hands running over the same places in her body. He was switching colors more often now; he was nearing the end. She couldn't sit still any longer.

XxX

Scorpius dabbed his last color onto the paint brush – a deep, brilliant green. Her eyes were last. He wanted to make them perfect, a living memory of their time together. He paused with his paint brush ready for action, looked up, and stared into her eyes one last time. For the first time during their session, her gaze met his directly. It was his turn to blush and grow warm.

He glanced back down at the canvas, adding the finishing touches. All of the while he felt himself growing warmer under her gaze. He looked up again, and was captured by her stare. He watched as she moved slowly – ever so slowly – into a sitting position on the white cotton sheets, allowing the top of the sheet to fall to her side, revealing that she was clearly as aroused as he.

His lips were on hers within moments, her bare back and side under his fingertips, his knees sinking into the soft mattress as he leaned her back onto the pillows. They disconnected briefly as she pulled his paint smeared cotton shirt over his head. He groaned deeply when she pulled their warm bodies together, hands tugging lightly at his hair.

Their kiss grew more and more desperate, each one's tongue caressing the other's. Scorpius moved his hands over her body, cupping one of her revealed breasts. He heard her whimper into his mouth as he pinched her lightly. He began kissing her neck now, moving his kisses lower and lower as he listened to her breathing increase in pace and volume.

**XxX Begin M rating**

Lily gasped as his mouth replaced his hands on her breast, licking and sucking tenderly. Her hands tugged hard her at his hair as he moved to its twin, and finally down her stomach, pausing to mark her hip lightly. Her body responded instinctively, thrusting her hips into the air as low sounds escaped her throat.

She found herself pleading with him softly as his hand moved up the inside of her still covered thigh. Soon he would be able to feel her desire for him, just as she could feel his hard pressed into her body. He adjusted his body so he was kissing her again, his hand still caressing the same spot on her inner thigh. Her mind was going crazy, her body wanting his touch more than she had ever wanted that of anyone else.

Not knowing how else to convey that he could touch her anyway he wanted, her hand hurriedly removed the last remaining segment of the sheet, fully exposing herself under his gaze.

XxX

Scorpius felt her hand swipe the sheet off of her body and found himself smiling against her lips. Her eagerness was genuine, and amplified his own. He dragged his hand at a painfully slow pace up the remainder of her thigh. As he slipped a finger into her warm, wet folds, the most perfect gasp of pleasure and surprise escaped her lips. "How does it feel?" he asked her, breathing hotly in her ear.

She whimpered as he moved his hand slowly, trying to relax her tense muscles. "Oh," she gasped as he slipped another digit inside. "No one has ever...it feels so...good," she finished, her breath catching in her chest.

His ears perked up at her confession. "You've never been touched this way?" he asked her, moving to kiss her neck again.

He felt her shake her head. "The only time I was ever with a man, it was so rushed. He didn't really care-"

Scorpius broke her sentence with a kiss. "That doesn't matter now. You are with me," he said, moving his hand faster inside of her. "And I care."

He listened as her cries of pleasure echoed off of the walls of the room. He laid his head on her chest, listening to her elevated heart beat, feeling his own desire coursing through his body. She moaned something he didn't quite understand. A few moments later, he felt her hand close around his wrist. He looked up at her face, which she moved up to meet his. "I want you, I need you now," she gasped before she kissed him roughly.

He moaned under her lips as he felt her hands pulling at the waist line of his pants. He arched his hips appropriately, and soon there was nothing separating them. He kissed her softly as he lowered himself next to her, allowing his desire to press against the outside of her thigh. He had dreamed of doing this with her many, many times since they had first met. He had always dreamed of dominating her, having her multiple times, roughly, in all positions. But now, after getting to know her, after sharing so much with her, after getting to know what she had been through, he decided to give her the 'story book' experience that she was robbed of years ago.

He ran his hands over her again, still kissing her lightly. After a few minutes her heart rate had declined slightly, and he knew she was calm and able to think clearly again. At this point, he moved himself between her legs and supported his weight on his elbows, hovering over her. After one last soft kiss, he pulled his lips slowly from hers. He watched as her eyes fluttered open. Only then did he allow his eyes to wander over the full length of her body, allowing her to do the same to his. "You are so perfect, so beautiful," he murmured as he brought his gaze back to her eyes.

She blushed lightly, and Scorpius stole another kiss from her. As he entered her, he heard her breath catch in her throat and felt her muscles clench tightly around him, making him groan in pleasure. He began kissing her slowly again, trying to distract her from the discomfort he was causing while trying to open her up. "Relax," he finally whispered. "I promise I will make this good for you, but if you keep all tight like this, I don't think I'll last very long."

She laughed lightly beneath him, and busied her hands in his hair again. Her moved his mouth to her neck and his hands to her breasts as he moved gently in and out, easing her muscles slowly. She began her whimpering again as he felt her growing less tense. Soon, he was gliding in and out of her with ease and was adding his own animalistic sounds to the mix.

Both of their pleasures were building now, and he did not hesitate to increase his pace when she requested between gasps. Soon, he was working to hold himself back, waiting for her to find her finish first. After he heard the familiar gasps and saw the glaze crawl over her eyes, he let himself join her. He quickly reached for his wand and muttered the anti-conception charm before collapsing beside her, laying his warm face on her chest.

After both of their breathing had slowed, he moved his head to kiss her softly on the lips. When he pulled away, she was smiling. He rolled onto his back and held her tightly in his arms. "Thank you," she whispered in to his chest.

"No, thank you," he replied as he pulled the covers up around them.

They were both asleep within minutes.

**XxX End M rating**

Lily woke to Storm stirring lightly under her. She kept her eyes closed for a few moments, trying to gather her thoughts. He was still there, holding her in his arms. After remembering what had happened, how it had felt, she couldn't help but smile into his bare chest and pull herself closer to his body.

It had been what she had always wanted, what she had daydreamed about since becoming sexually aware. It was everything that her first time with Lysander was not. The way he had kissed her, caressed her, the things that he had whispered in her ears. All perfect.

She opened her eyes to find a pair of stormy gray ones looking at her. "Hey," she whispered, smiling up at him.

"Hey," he whispered back, chuckling lightly.

"What time is it?" she asked, sitting up slightly.

"It's almost eight in the evening."

Lily groaned. That meant it was almost time to go home. He pulled her face back down to his, kissing her lips lightly before allowing her to resume her position of cuddling into his neck. "Stay, for just a bit?" he asked.

She nodded into his chest as he held her closer. Godric, she could get used to this. She loved this, she loved -

She felt a pang in her chest. She couldn't have this, not with him at least. They were just one date away from parting ways. If she wasn't as strong as she was, Lily would have burst into tears on the spot.

XxX

Scorpius was flying, soaring, as he walked back from the park down the road. He had been doing some serious planning for his next date. It was the last of the five they would be sharing, but decidedly not the last if he had his way. After finding her curled up with him, her naked body against his, he had instantly decided he was not going to give her up.

His plan had scared him senseless at first, but after some thinking, he realized he wanted nothing more in the world. At the end of their fifth date, he was going to raise the stakes even more. The only condition under which he would reveal himself as Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy to her would be if she accepted the trinket resting in the small box stuffed in his pocket. It was all or nothing, and if he played his cards right, they could both have it all.

He began find his usual composure when he saw the brown door to his flat. He took in several deep breaths as he walked up the stairs. Instead of finding the door handle to his flat in his grasp, he felt a warm figure stumble into his chest. He automatically steadied himself after taking a few steps back, nearing dangerously towards the stairs. He inhaled a familiar scent as the figure straightened up, trying to gain its footing. "Are you okay?" he asked.

A pair of striking green eyes flashed in the dim light of the setting sun. It was Al's sister. "I'm…I'm… well it doesn't really matter, does it?" she huffed. "Thanks," she said before diapparating.

Scorpius sighed and walked into his flat to a very distressed roommate. "Was that your sister?" he asked, removing his shoes at the door.

"Oh sorry about that," Al muttered. "Lily spent the night last night. Stuff is still on the couch. I figured you wouldn't mind since you said you needed to catch up with your parents and would be staying at the Manor."

Scorpius nodded and casually flicked his wand. "No worries," he said as the blanket and pillows moved back to the hall closet.

He mentally slapped himself after realizing he had just sent away his favorite couch pillow. He summoned it back with ease as he scanned the room for his book. Right where he had left it on the side table. He grabbed it while reaching for the lamp switch, and heard something clatter lightly to the hardwood floor. He looked down to see something silver shining in the light. "I think she left something here," he said as he bend to pick the object up.

"What?" Al called from the kitchen.

Scorpius's mouth went dry as two emerald snake eyes gleamed into his own. "Necklace," he sputtered, thrusting it into Al's open hands.

He stormed into his room, mind racing. He couldn't separate them in his mind. Their faces, voices, even their scents. "Eyes," he gasped, moving haphazardly to the corner of his room like a mad man.

He pulled the sheet off of his newest masterpiece. He was looking into the same eyes he had seen on the porch only minutes before. He raced through his room, tearing apart his weekend bag until he found his dinner shirt. He brought it to his face and inhaled deeply. It was the same smell, vanilla and amber, that Al's sister had been wearing on the porch. They were the same, and he could not separate them. Lily had the Queen's face, eyes, and smell. She had the necklace.

Scorpius sat down on his bed shakily. He had just slept with his roommate (and best friend's) sister – Harry Potter's daughter. He was in deep.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I had some trouble with it, but I think it went alright! Let me know what you thought. As always, thanks so much for the reviews; you guys are so great. One or two chapters left, a few surprises as well! Happy Holidays!

Missyca23: I hope you enjoyed the semi-Titanic scene! I wrote it and then had the same exact thought: Wow this resembles Titanic...and then debated about changing it but decided not to.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

He spent a few moments trying to separate the images of Lily Potter and the Queen in his head, but found it to be an impossible task. Their images were now one. They were so obviously the same person, Scorpius wasn't quite sure how he had missed it. The enchantment must have been more powerful than he had originally thought.

He dug under his bed for his old school trunk, searching through its depthsfor his old spell books. At long last, he found his NEWT level charms book. He flipped to the massive index. "Maskless mask," he whispered, searching for a page number. When he flipped to the correct page, he began to read.

Most of the information he already knew. For instance, the enchantment lasted until the caster removed it, keeping his identity concealed from everyone with whom he comes into contact - with the exception of family members, those he chooses to share his masked identity with, and those who figure out his true identity. The enchantment does not necessarily change the enchanter's appearance, rather the magic confuses the minds of those around him. He would appear exactly the same, but the people seeing him would not be able to connect his current appearance with the mental image they already associate with him. That is to say, the brain creates two separate identities and is unable to form a connection between them.

So when he first met the Queen, the magic of her enchantment created an image in his mind. When he met Lily Potter, he was not able to connect that she looked exactly the same as the Queen, even though he had noticed their similar features. Now that he knew, his mind had fused the images together, breaking the enchantment. The next time he saw the Queen, she would be Lily Potter.

And this brought him full circle. Lily Potter, the one and only daughter of the hero Harry Potter, known school rival of his father. Now everything made perfect sense; her worries of being accepted for who she really is, not wanting to scare off potential dates when they realize who she is, her need to wear a mask to get any sort of dating interaction. She was completely gorgeous, smart, everything most guys want in a girl, but was completely unobtainable.

Scorpius shook himself from his thoughts, realizing that he had been absentmindedly opening and closing the silver box he had retrieved from his parent's house. He laughed out loud at himself then. The only girl to genuinely hold his interest would turn out to be probably the one girl he couldn't have. Like all things that made him happy in life, she would flit out of his grasp after their next, final date. Perhaps he should adopt the family marriage practice of entering into an arranged marriage to preserve the family bloodline. It guaranteed a relatively stable marriage which would make him 'happy' for all intents and purposes.

He stood up suddenly. _"You're so different than he was, so different from all of them,"_ she had said. He tossed the small box in the air, determined to show her how different he really was. He had grown to know who she really was. Her name really didn't matter. That was what their game had been all about.

XxX

A few hours had passed since Lily had left Al's flat, and the sun had set for the evening. In this time, she had managed to finally calm herself down to a state in which she could think rationally, something she hadn't been able to do at Al's. Her brother probably thought she was a complete nutter after last night. She stormed into his flat, completely unannounced, looked him in the eye and started crying. He sat with her on the couch all night, trying to comfort her with tea and soft words, but all she could do was cry and sniffle. Finally, she was able to fall asleep (probably due to a sleeping draft slipped into her last cup of tea).

She awoke the next afternoon to the smell of Al cooking chicken for dinner. She was grateful that he didn't press her for information or try to calm her down any further. In all honesty, he seemed very relieved that she had been able to turn off the water works. They ate in silence, Lily's thought screaming in her head again. She then said her thanks and goodbyes and went quickly on her way...well after stumbling into Al's roommate on her way out. She had said more words to Scorpius than she had to Al, and even those words had been insignificant and rather short.

The whole time, her mind had been rationalizing her problems in secret, using high levels of confusion and depression to hide the creation of a neatly structured summary of her problems as well as a solution. And this is what she found after a few hours of lying in bed:

_Problem Summary:_

_You, Lily Luna Potter, have been afraid of many things throughout your life, many of which centered around your family's history. To settle these fears you closed yourself off from almost everyone in your life, eventually even masking your face in order to feel comfortable and in control. Initially when you accepted the 'five date challenge' you considered it to be one of your usual games, one in which you would come out on top. However, very early in the game, you forgot the important face that it was only a game. In doing so, you let down all of your barriers and allowed yourself to fall in love – _yes, she was able to admit to herself that she was undoubtedly in love_ – with a complete stranger. _

_To make things even more complicated, you, Lily Luna Potter, added another young wizard to the mix. Seth is a perfect gentleman, surely capable of offering you everything you could ever want and need, and you know who he is and where he comes from. You have faced the wanted certainty against the wonderful unknown and you have no idea what to do about it. _

As for the solution...it wasn't one that she felt she particularly liked, but it was the most rational. She would only be breaking one rule of their agreement, and the number of dates was not it.

XxX

Scorpius had been thinking all day about what he was going to say to her tonight. He had to tell her he knew who she was, and how he knew. That was only fair. Knowing her identity had also ruined his plan of presenting her with the trinket in his pocket and asking her to take the ultimate risk. Pretending to still be oblivious would also be unfair...and he could see her becoming quite hostile if she ever found out. However, he knew he had to see her again after tonight, and he had brought the little trinket with him to show her how serious he was. He wasn't going to give it to her yet, he just wanted to let her know it was on his mind.

He heard a tiny 'pop' a few feet away and smiled when he saw her. However, his smile faded with one look at her face. His hand loosened around the small box in his pocket. Her eyes looked tired and slightly reddened. He walked quietly over to her, and she offered him a weak smile and her arm. They walked in silence together out of the bustling apparation zone and towards an empty bench. Before he even said anything, Scorpius had the sinking feeling that it was over. They were over before he had even gotten the chance to ask for it to begin. But, maybe, he could still change her mind.

XxX

Lily drew in a deep breath as she looked into his penetrating gray eyes. _Just do it_, she told herself. No turning back, you need someone constant. No more games. She curved her lips into a weak smile as they reached the bench she had been leading them towards. She was trying to gain back the confidence that she lost when she saw the bright smile melt suddenly off of his face. He had looked happy to see her, but this is what she had decided. Chasing after a false reality was not healthy.

"You took me to a bench for our date? How creative," she heard him laugh nervously, running his hand through his hair. He reminded her briefly of her brothers and their nervous fetish with their hair.

She drew in a final breath. "Not exactly," she said, looking at the ground.

She felt his icy fingers tilt her chin back up to look at his face again. "It doesn't have to be this way you know," he whispered after a moment.

Lily tightened her chest to keep her organs from melting, to keep her mind from running away from her. She shook her head. "But I want it to be," she managed to choke out. "I...there's...there's someone else."

XxX

He felt his hand drop like lead from her soft, pale cheek.

"_There's someone else."_

The words echoed in his mind. He felt his heart physically harden, as if in self protection. "I see," he said cooly. "Well, I'm sorry to have kept you for this long then."

"I think that it would be best," he heard her start again, "if we didn't reveal ourselves. You know, just leave it be."

He nodded curtly, finding it useless to tell her that he already knew who she was. It would be better that she couldn't find him right? Better, for her at least, that she wouldn't have to feel awkward whenever she visited Al. "Goodbye then," he felt himself abruptly say.

XxX

She watched as he turned on his heels and walked away without a backward glance. She drew in a breath, the chilled air of autumn stinging her lungs. She pulled her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped themselves around her chest to keep herself together. It was done, she would never be able to find him again. They would both remove the charms from themselves in a few moments and, in her case at least, would never cast it again. She could see him again in five minutes and not recognize him at all. He was gone. He had left so easily. _Which is why it was the best thing..._she reminded herself.

XxX

Scorpius removed the enchantment before he walked himself straight into his favorite wizard pub. To think, he was going to propose going steady, make her his real girlfriend. He had himself convinced that she wanted him that way as well. But all of this time, he had been the _other guy_. Sure, he had been the other guy before, but that was back in school when everything was just a game to him. It hadn't mattered because the girl hadn't mattered.

But this one had. Lily mattered to him. She hadn't really at the beginning, but she had grown to matter to him. And he had manipulated himself into thinking that he had grown to matter to her. His hand curled into a fist.

He felt a cold hand run up his forearm to his shoulder, brushing the hair away from his neck. He inhaled an unwelcome smell of cherry blossom perfume. "What do you want, Aconite?" he asked, turning around on his stool, fist still clenched.

The pixy brunette sent him an icy smile as she took a seat next to him. "How are you progressing with the Queen?" she smirked.

"Just fine," he said through his grit teeth.

"Oh? And how much longer until you figure out who she is?" the witch said, taking a sip from his glass.

"I'm tired of your games," Scorpius spit out.

"But you're always up for a game Scor, especially one that involves the heart of a girl," she said.

Scorpius scowled at her. There was no way he was revealing Lily's identity. It is true that this may have started out as a game for him, but now… "Unless, this has become more than just a game to you?"

"What do you want, Parkinson?"

"Has the golden girl broken your heart?" she taunted.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She shot him another icy smile. "She has, and in the worst way possible too."

Scorpius fought to keep his cool. "You're not the only one in Lily Potter's life," she finished, smiling mercilessly.

He slammed his fist on the table. "What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" he growled.

She just smiled at him. "She needs a man who can support her, a strong man with a clean past. She doesn't need you, no one needs you."

"You knew, you knew this whole time!" Scorpius hissed, grasping her wrist harshly.

Aconite laughed. "What have you done?" he asked, shaking her shoulders.

Aconite stopped laughing. "I've broken you, and soon I'll break her. Or Seth will rather," she gasped.

Scorpius stood up, Aconite laughed again. "You can't just explain this one away to her. My plan was perfect, flawless. You've fallen in love with the one girl you can't have. Your pasts conflict in the worst way possible. Without your family, without what your family supported, she would have a full family. How would she even be able to look you in the face? Look your parents in the face?" Aconite rambled madly.

"And that's where you're wrong," Scorpius said firmly. "There are very few families who let things like that come between them. The Potters, no matter how many times their family was wronged, they still believe the best in people. They understand. Slither back into your hole Aconite, you've lost again."

* * *

A/N: Eeps! Sorry this chapter was half as long as usual! It just felt like a natural place to stop...the infuriating cliff hanger. One more to go folks! I hope you are continuing to enjoy this fic! Thanks for all of the reviews, you guys are all great =] I have a few scenarios floating around in my head for the final chapter...but which to choose? Hmmmm...


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Oh my goodness finally! I was so excited to post this chapter...even if it's not exactly what I had imagined. This picks up from Lily's POV, right after Scorpius walked away from her at the end of chapter 6.

**Chapter 7**

She didn't bother removing her masking charm; no one needed to see Lily Potter with tears cascading down her cheeks. Regret was a quick striking enemy, and – funnily enough – always the expected enemy. Yet, no matter how many times she experienced the quick pierce of Regret's knife, it always came as a surprise.

She had hurt him, that much was obvious. She saw the shock and pain flashing in his eyes like the lightning in a storm. At first she thought she should have chosen better words. However, the searing painful churning in her chest as she watched him walk away made her realize that she never should have said them at all. As she opened her mouth to call him back, Regret severed her vocal chords with a quick slash of his knife, causing her trapped words to flow from her eyes instead.

Lily jumped in her seat as she felt someone sit down on the bench next to her. "I really hope those tears are something I can cure," a familiar voice said.

Right, her mask didn't work on family. Great. She quickly tried to wipe her tears. "I'm fine Uncle George," she lied, turning to smile at him.

He smiled sadly and shook his head. "You are a horrible liar; always have been."

"I think I've just done something terrible," she confessed quickly, leaning into her uncle's shoulder.

He pulled his arms around her. "We all do a few terrible things in our lives. What's your story, little flower?"

"I think I've just lost someone, someone I was really starting to care about," she choked.

Her uncle stood up, taking her with him. "No one is every really lost, Lily," he said softly. "Let me show you something."

Lily nodded and held tightly to his arm. With a 'crack' they appeared in a dimly lit field with rounded stones poking up here and there. Her breath caught in her chest. She had never been here before, never felt like it would be proper for her to visit. Her uncle was leading her to the end of the row closest to them, and she knew what they were walking towards.

_Fred Weasley_

_April 1, 1978 – May 2, 1998_

_Let laughter reign._

She sat on the grass with her uncle as he told her a story her mother dare not speak of all of those years ago, the story of Fred's death. It sent chills through her body as the cold reality of war and death hit her. Her uncle had been loved by so many, yet the last moments of his life were witnessed by only a few. Her Uncle George was not present at the moment his twin was killed, but he said he could feel it happen.

At the time, he was in the midst of battle and felt something akin to a burning hex – a pulse of heat followed by a feeling of extreme numbness, emptiness. For some reason he had felt the need to find his brother, to regroup with his family. At the same time, the death eaters had been called to retreat. He helped carry in any bodies that had fallen around him, most limp, some whispering their final goodbyes and last words to whoever found them. He said there was no words to describe the pain he felt when he saw Fred's body laying in the hall.

"Percy said he had been laughing. At what, he wasn't really sure, probably one of his usual jokes," her uncle said, laughing lightly. "Percy said that when he heard the laughter stop from next to him, he knew it was all over. The last laugh."

Lily remained silent, still unsure of what her uncle's goal was. Perhaps she should have clarified that she hadn't lost some one to death. But, there must be a point because Uncle George wasn't one to give the whole, 'You know nothing of loss. You weren't even born,' lecture.

"I was lost for a long time, we all were. Each one of us disappointed in ourselves for not sticking more closely together, saving each other like my mum saved Ginny, your mother. Eventually, everyone began to move on. Got married, had kids to heal the emptiness. I was left with Angelina, both of us with the same lost feeling. She'd been with him before me you know," her uncle said.

Lily shook her head. "I never knew," she replied.

"It was rough at first. I was confused about what was happening between us. I wanted to know that I wasn't taking the place of my brother in her heart, and wanted her to know that I was not my brother...but that is another story."

"The point is that everyone and everything can be found again. Angelina wasn't lying when she said you are a lot like Fred, but mostly, you are just like Lily Luna."

Lily wasn't quite sure what to say. She felt almost embarrassed, crying to her Uncle about losing someone. Why had she said those exact words? "When I said lost, I didn't mean 'lost' as in he..."

"Died?"

Lily nodded. "I figured that much, but I thought I might be able to help by showing you that even in the worst definition of losing someone, they can always be found again. Luckily for you, you might be able to right your wrongs," he said. "And I figured someone owed you a full story about your Uncle Fred. I knew the family kept the topic hushed, but I never realized that you didn't know who he was. He was probably turning in his grave knowing his would-be-favorite-neice didn't know who he was. And after finding out who he was, he certainly wouldn't have wanted you to feel like his shadow. Closure for both of us buddy," he said, patting the ground in front of the headstone.

Lily laughed lightly. "Would you tell me some more about him? You know, since we are here and everything?" she asked nervously.

"Fred would never let me get away with not telling you about the time we turned your Uncle Ron's teddy bear into a spider, or about the time we set of fireworks during OWL testing. I think your father would remember that one."

She spent the rest of the night listening to her Uncle George tell stories of his twin, pushing the idea of closure to the back of her mind for now.

XxX

Pop culture would suggest a simple, fool proof plan of action for his current predicament: expose Seth as a malicious fraud, reveal himself as Lily's one true love, and ride off into the distance with her arms clasped lovingly behind his neck. However, this was not how life worked, no matter how many movies and books attempted to brainwash society.

For one, he had no idea what Seth was up to, or even who he was (Aconite had only mentioned his first name). He couldn't even be sure that Aconite hadn't made the whole thing up. Perhaps the _other guy_ (as he liked to call him) was a perfectly nice bloke and his former classmate was just trying to get him into even more trouble. Secondly, he could not randomly appear at Lily's side with no explanation of how he knew who she was. His experience with women lead him to believe that they did not like shocking, too-good-to-be-true surprises in their love lives; it suggested that something was wrong and made them very suspicious. This was something requiring careful planning and consideration if he wanted to secure the desired outcome.

_Quick_ careful planning.

XxX

For once in her life, Lily was eager to help her mother and grandmother. James's wedding was just around the corner and somehow, despite all they had been doing, more and more tasks seemed to pop up. Flowers had to be chosen, food tasted and improved, dresses needed to be fitted, aparation zones and porkeys had to be assigned, concealment charms, weather charms, wedding bands, cake, wine, music, tables, chairs, great great Aunt Muriel – you name it – all had to be considered. All of the things Lily dreamed about as a young girl while playing wedding with the neighborhood children.

So far she had aided in food and beverage selection with Grandmum Weasley and helped Uncle George with the entertainment aspects. She avoided working with dresses and rings. She had not been chosen to be in the wedding party, which was just as well because her hair was so hard to match with decent colors. She had also avoided tasks overseen directly by her mother. Ginny had been taking every opportunity to discuss Lily's own wedding plants, and after reminding her mother for the fifth time that she had absolutely no such plans, she quit the floral arranging task.

Her mother absolutely LOVED Set. He was the perfect gentleman at dinner last weekend, and well, all of the time really. Any other girl would have found his notes and flowers endearing, would have gone weak at the knees listening to his compliments and experiencing his soft, tender kisses. Sure, they got along well enough and she never regretted spending time with Seth, but it seemed almost staged. Evenings with him felt like scenes from a teenaged romance novel, which made her absolutely bored at times; their relationship was so predictable. B-O-R-I-N-G.

Anything would be considered boring after her experience this past summer. The memory of Storm followed her...well like a storm. All of the wonder and terror in her mind constantly. His words were the cool refreshing breezes preceding the rainfall. Memories of their dates were the exciting, unexpected flashes of lightning and claps of thunder. The rain was always brutal. The hurt in his eyes when she ended everything, her tears of sadness and regret – yes regret. If she could do it all again, she would never have ended it that night. But, now she could never find him again. Her unsolvable mystery would haunt her forever as just a face and a handful of good memories.

And then there was the idea of closure her uncle had planted in her head. He had proved to her that you didn't need to be face to face with someone in order to establish closure...but what if the person in question was still alive? Would it still work that way?

Lily sighed and shook her head as she set off to deliver another round of invitations.

XxX

The beginnings of a plan fell into his lap – quite literally – later that week. Scorpius had been sitting on the couch reading the list of tasks his father needed him to take care of regarding the family business while he was out of town the next month, when a thick envelope dropped in front of his face. "Looks like my sister spilled the beans on you being my roommate," Al said from behind him.

Scorpius held up the envelope to see his name beautifully scripted on the front of the expensive looking parchment envelop. "It's an invite to my brother's wedding."

He laughed incredulously. "I was invited to your brother's wedding?"

Al laughed as well. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. I can see how it might be awkward."

Scorpius couldn't believe his luck; an excuse to be in contact with Lily again. "No, I'll go. I'm not going as your date though," he joked. "Don't want your mom to think that's the reason you've been keeping me a secret."

Al laughed. "It wouldn't surprise me. But seriously, no pressure mate."

XxX

Lily turned her attention to the champagne glass tower, carefully balanced on a table in the center of the food area. Seth had disappeared from her side a while ago. She had assumed that he had left to use the loo, but he had yet to return. It was for the best, she supposed. Her mind hadn't exactly been focused on her boyfriend that evening.

To her surprise, Al's roommate had accepted the invitation to the wedding. She had seen him during the ceremony a few rows behind her. He appeared to have come alone and was sitting with some of James' ministry friends. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off of him since. He looked so much like Storm. She had purposely run into him at the dessert table earlier just for a chance to see his eyes. She had nearly dropped her plate. He had smiled weakly at her, almost as if he was nervous to be there. This was something Storm wouldn't have done, she was sure.

She had been debating ever since that run in about asking him to dance. This urge was growing with each sip of champagne she took. What she wouldn't give for one more dance with Storm. She eyed her half empty glass. One more of those and she could probably easily pretend...for closure purposes of course.

Lily downed the rest of the flute and went to grab another. It was for closure, so she could be sane again. Everyone else would be too busy to notice an innocent dance. Scorpius surely would have no way of knowing she was using him. She could easily get away with one dance. She would say she asked him because he looked bored. Besides, Seth was nowhere to be seen. She would go find him afterward. Right. Ready, set, go!

XxX

He was watching her from the 'side lines.' She looked absolutely stunning in her knee length, deep smoky blue dress. When he had seen her in the church, he had wanted to tell her everything right then, but he knew he couldn't. He had exhibited an impressive amount of self restrain...mostly due to unfamiliar nerves. So far, he had made zero moves on her. Soon the night would be over, all of his chances gone for...who knew how long.

But then...It had all happened so quickly. While his mind was contemplating the best way to ask her for a dance (and whether it was proper or not), she had spotted him and pulled him onto the dance floor. It had been a nervous mix of, "You can't stand by yourself at a wedding; it's rude not to have fun," followed by, "My date has been bouncing in and out on me, not feeling well or something," and then, "Al is nowhere around to object," and, just like that, he had his arms drawn around her waist.

_**I don't know you**_

_**But I want you**_

_**All the more for that**_

_**Words fall through me**_

_**And always fool me**_

_**And I can't react**_

_**And games that never amount **_

_**To more than they're meant**_

_**Will play themselves out**_

Neither said a word as they shared the slow moving dance. Scorpius watched the way her eyes combed over his face, never once straying to objects or people behind him. He wondered what she was seeing, if she recognized the eyes she stared into on their secret dates, if she recognized his cologne when she bent her head to rest upon his shoulder.

_**Take this sinking boat and point it home**_

_**We've still got time**_

_**Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice**_

_**You'll make it known**_

He automatically pulled her closer to him, much closer than was probably appropriate considering she had a boyfriend present at the gathering somewhere. Yet, she pulled him even closer still. He could feel her fingers pulling lightly at the hair at the base of his neck, sending chills up and down his spine. He desperately wished he could hear what she was thinking.

_**Falling slowly, eyes that know me**_

_**And I can't go back**_

_**Moods that take me and erase me**_

_**And I'm painted black **_

_**Well you have suffered enough**_

_**And warred with yourself**_

_**It's time that you won**_

She refused to look up at him, but Scorpius felt her breath grow warmer on his neck, hitting it at an inconsistent pace. He somehow managed to draw her even closer and buried his nose in her red locks, inhaling the sweet smell of vanilla. He had to constantly remind himself that there were still people around. The thought made him smile. He knew her cousins, at least the older ones, knew who he was, as well as a few of her aunts and uncles most likely.

_**Take this sinking boat and point it home**_

_**We've still got time**_

_**Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice**_

_**You've made it known**_

_**Falling slowly sing your melody**_

_**I'll sing it loud**_

Yet, the soft music and setting sun lulled him into a dream like state. She was really here, right here, with him again, clinging to him in a familiar way. And he still couldn't help wondering if she was feeling the same familiarity. For those short, few minutes, it was as if he had never walked away from her.

_**I paid the cost too late**_

_**Now you're gone**_

He felt the warmth of her forehead under his lips, just as the last chord of the song left the speakers. Scorpius, still shocked at his instinctive action, watched, holding his breath, as she lifted her head, their noses almost touching. He could see a medley of confusion and haunting desire in her expression as she looked into his eyes again, searching for answers.

He watched her eyes closed and fought with all of his strength not to do the same. "Lily," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand.

Her eyes fluttered open as the next song, a lively one, came on. "There's something we should probably talk about," he said, gesturing for her to follow him off of the dance floor.

"Listen," she started when they sat down at an empty table. "Let's just forget it, okay? I got caught up in something, I wasn't thinking properly. I'm sorry."

"Let's not forget it, just for a few more minutes."

"But-"

"Just for a few minutes," he urged.

She laughed dryly. "I'm not going to pretend anything so you can have a good night," she said.

"But you can pretend all you want when we're dancing, is that it?" he countered, trying to keep his voice even.

"I wasn't-"

"What exactly did you get caught up in?" he interrupted.

Lily faltered. "You're eyes, they are very comforting," she admitted, relaxing.

"Familiar even?" he asked.

She nodded. "What else?" he continued.

"What else what?"

"What else did you find familiar?" he asked.

She made to leave. "This is ridiculous."

"Will you just answer the question?" he asked, grabbing her wrist.

"Everything, alright! Everything about you is so familiar. And not familiar from the two times I met you at Al's place, familiar as in you look exactly like someone else!"

"You used to look exactly like someone else I knew as well, hauntingly so," he said, standing face to face with her. "Until I put the pieces together."

She stared at him for a few minutes. "What are you playing at?" she said harshly, trying to pull her arm away from him.

"Listen," he said. "I'm exactly who you think I am. Just think about it, think about him," he said, moving closer to her face.

"Stop," she said.

"You are my Red Queen, my Culinary Genius, my Dangerous Apothecary, my Clumsy Sailor, my portrait-perfect Greek Goddess."

"Stop!" she said, pushing him away roughly.

"Will you just look at me?" he demanded. "You know what I'm saying is true. You know who I am."

"NO!" she shouted.

Scorpius watched her storm away. Why was she being so difficult? Wasn't she supposed to see it right away? Shouldn't they be snogging against his bedroom door right now? He was angry for a little while, angry at her for being so difficult, and angry at himself for thinking that it would be as easy as he wanted. Then he did the only thing he could, the only thing that would make her believe what she already knew.

XxX

_Stupid, stupid, STUPID Lily! _She scolded herself as she walked away from Scorpius. She knew that dance would stir old memories, but how could she have thought it would bring her closure? How much had she to drink? _Not enough to pretend what happened after the dance didn't happen..._

She scoffed. It must have been some sort of joke; there was no way he could have found her. Scorpius must have just invaded her thoughts while they had been dancing. His family used to be a bunch of traitors after all..

Lily cringed at the thought. It was harsh and uncalled for. She knew his family was better now. Storm had described a similar family situation..._or the same one_.

She shook her head. Her mind was telling her what she wanted to hear, that by some chance, some obscure miracle, Storm was Scorpius and he had found her.

Okay, let's assume that Scorpius really _was _Storm and that he had just found her. That left room for a few questions...namely _how_ had he found her? She was so very careful about not revealing herself to him during their dates, and she had minimal interaction with him at Al's flat the two times they had run into each other. Perhaps he had guessed who she was, but how early? What if he had known the entire time?

Lily gasped, choking lightly on her rogue tears as she felt the familiar burn of the snake pendant against her skin. She tried to calm herself down. She was imagining things. It was only natural given what had just happened. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel the welcome burn against her chest, so her mind let her feel it.

She stood for a few moments, unmoving. Then, unable to help herself, she brought the charm to eye level. "When you can accept what I was trying to tell you, find me on the bridge."

She looked up automatically and saw his familiar outline on the bridge. It was Storm's, but yet she knew it some how to be Scorpius's as well. She tried to imagine what his face would look like, staring into the clear water below. His deep eyes...but all she could see was the storm that had been raging behind Scorpius's gray eyes. She tried and tried to find Storm, but when she thought she had found him, she realized that it was Scorpius she was seeing.

There was only one way for her to find out what kind of mind trick Scorpius Malfoy was playing on her.

XxX

Scorpius turned as he heard her approaching him. She paused at the foot of the bridge, an angry scowl plastered on her face. "Let me explain," he started, walking towards her.

"Oh I think you better," she responded bitterly.

"Well what do you want to know?" he asked.

"What you're up to, what kind of sick joke you are trying to play on me. You can start there," she demanded.

He had tried to play out how this conversation was going to go in his head to be better prepared, but it already wasn't going the way he wanted it to. Might as well get to the point. "We were set up," he started. "That night in the club, I went looking for you. Well, not for you Lily Potter, but for The Queen."

"So I was right, this was a big game!" she said.

This was going so wrong. "Please, just let me explain!"

When she was silent for a moment, he continued. "This girl I knew from school, Aconite, she came to me one day and told me about you. She was curious to find out who you were. And I admit, I took her up on it for one last hurrah. It wasn't supposed to mean anything to me."

"You are horrible," she spat.

"Am I really? This is the first time I've done this type of thing. From what she was telling me, you are no stranger to the scene," he said.

She raised her hand as if to hit him. "This lasted longer! I told you things I've never..._we slept together_!" she hissed.

"It came to mean so much more to me!" he replied quickly. "Just as it did for you!"

"Well the joke is on you. As I told you, I'm seeing someone else," she said fiercely.

"You're right," he said hastily before she could walk away. "That's the whole point – the joke _is _on me. Aconite knew going into this that I would fall for you, that we would be a good pairing. Then she would be free to rip the rug from under my feet after setting you up with another perfect man."

"My mother arranged things between Seth and I!" she shouted.

"Because he approached your father about it," Scorpius pleaded. "Haven't you been wondering where he has been all night?"

Lily's face faltered. "I suppose he's not feeling well."

Scorpius shook his head and sighed. He turned and pointed towards the large oak tree. "The girl with the pixie cut is Aconite, and the guy with the hand up her dress-"

"Is Seth," she breathed.

"Lily, I'm so sorry. None of this was supposed to go this way. I wanted to tell you in a better way, in a more graceful way," he pleaded, moving towards her.

She was leaning on the railing of the bridge, looking down into the small stream of water running slowly below their feet. "How can I believe you? I mean the fact that Seth is a dirty rotten cheater I get. There's enough physical evidence for that one," she said.

"Close your eyes," Scorpius instructed.

He watched as she followed his directions. "Do what I said earlier. Think about Storm, think about me, try to pull our images apart."

"But I can't!" she said, moving her hands to her head.

"It's like it was so obvious, you aren't sure why you didn't see it before," he said, daring to move a bit closer to her. "I can further prove myself, my story, by taking you to one place. Trust me?" he pleaded.

His heart jumped with relief when she took the hand he had offered to her. He spent a few minutes concentrating on their destination; one wrong coordinate, one distraction, and they would assuredly aparate to their deaths.

He faintly heard the crack that signified their simultaneous disappearance and reapparance. He felt solid floor beneath his feet and he immediately opened his eyes, which of course was the wrong thing to do. He felt nauseatingly dizzy as he stared out at the scene so far below him. Well, at least he had gotten the coordinates right.

He became aware of Lily's hand tightening against his. "But what...where.." she stammered.

He slowly turned his head to look at her, using his free hand to support himself on one of the metal bars at his side. "I promised that I would take you here," he said in what he hoped was a calm voice.

Lily put a hand to her mouth as she looked out over the city of Paris. "But then that means we are standing in...oh my goodness!" she gasped, suddenly clutching on to him.

"I wanted to take you here the last night we saw each other," he started to explain. "I was going to tell you everything I knew at the time."

"And how much did you know?" she asked, breathlessly.

Scorpius was glad that she didn't seem as angry anymore. "I found out who you were the morning that we ran into each other outside of my flat. You left your necklace and I found it when I went inside. I had been away, visiting my parents. After the weekend we spent together, I knew I didn't want to give you up so soon," he explained, carefully trying to choose the right words. "Then, I found out who you were."

She laughed. "And then you changed your mind. It is quite funny how everyone wants me until they realize who I am," she said.

He looked at her guiltily. "I admit, I had some second thoughts, but after thinking it over I decided that it didn't matter. It was what the whole game we started was all about, finding the person inside," he said. "I wanted to tell you during that last date, wanted to let you know how serious I was about what we had started."

He let go of her arms and reached into the pocket of his pants. He pulled out a small silver box, etched with ancient flowing patters. "I grabbed this from my parents' house, before I knew who you were. I was going play the ultimate risk card in our game before I knew who you were. After finding out, I decided to use it in a different way."

He heard her gasp as he opened the small silver box, revealing the Malfoy family engagement ring. "I'm not asking you to take it now, in fact I don't want you to. I just want you to know how serious I am about continuing what we've started. I want to do things right with you," he explained quickly, looking into her eyes.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, almost in a whisper, bowing her head to the ground.

Scorpius cupped her cheek with his hand, raising her face so he was looking into her eyes. "I don't think I've ever felt anything quite like that," he admitted, remembering the taring sensation that ripped through his body.

"I was just so confused. If I would have thought you wanted..." her voice faded.

"How could you not think that maybe I wanted more?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I guess it was just easier to believe that you didn't, that you were just like any other boy I've known."

"But you even said yourself that I was different from everyone else," he said, smiling. "Maybe you should try trusting your desires."

She smiled for a moment. "And even after I did the worst thing I could have done, you are still right here. You still showed me that...unbelievably gorgeous rock," she laughed, tugging worryingly at her curls.

"I ran into Aconite right after I walked away from you. Then I found out everything."

"What if you hadn't?" she asked. "What if she hadn't told you?"

"I really don't know," he confessed. "I wouldn't have wanted to ruin anything you had going with the other guy. I didn't know how deep you two were. For all I knew, you had been together for ages and the whole club thing was a weekend rendezvous. Then, on the other hand, I'm not sure what I would have done with myself."

"I knew when I told you, the second after, that I had chosen wrong."

"Why did you choose to tell me?" he asked.

"Again, I wouldn't let myself believe that you wanted more than just the five dates. Seth, he was turning out to be the man in those books that Rose reads. I thought it would be more stable with him."

Scorpius sighed. "That's what Aconite said you would say."

Lily started to cry again. "I can't believe this whole thing was a set up!"

He grabbed her into his arms, squeezing her tightly. "But this isn't! Not everything was false, Lily. Every day we were apart I looked at those paintings I did that weekend, and each time I was dumbfounded with how beautiful you are. Every morning I woke up, I was wishing that you were curled in my arms."

"I bet my hair was a mess," she joke, wiping her eyes.

"A great big mess," he joked, nipping at her ear.

She choked again, laughing. "So what do you think?" he asked after a moment, allowing her to gather her thoughts. "Think you can get used to regular dates with regular old me?"

She laughed. "Regular never looked so good," she said, leaning her face into his.

What started as a simple kiss quickly turned into a desperate snog against the cool metal of the tower. "Would you mind if we took this to a more leveled ground?" he asked, not sure exactly where the magical floor stopped.

Lily laughed, nodding. "My flat?" he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows.

She gasped as his mouth moved to her neck. "Please!"

Without allowing a second to pass after her reply, he apparated them directly into his bedroom.

XxX

It was late when Albus returned to his flat. This was by far the most lively family wedding he had ever attended. His buzz was slowly wearing off, being replaced already by a headache he knew would only be worse in the morning. He tossed his shoes sloppily next to the door and began shedding his robes as he approached his bedroom.

The lack of light coming from under Scorpius's door caused him to assume that his flatmate was already sleeping, but upon entering his own room he realized he was wrong. Al chuckled lightly. Scor always managed to come home with a date from weddings. He would just have to remind him to cast a silencing charm.

"Say my name, my queen!"

"Oh Scorpius!" a female shouted.

Yes definitely a silencing charm. Al shook his head, feeling slightly awkward. He certainly didn't want to hear them finish, but he also didn't want to knock on the door at that precise moment. He heard the girl's voice plead a few more requests, and he couldn't help but notice that the voice sounded familiar. Maybe it was the same girl from the last Weasley wedding? Rose's pretty brunette friend?

He was just raking his brain for a spell he could use to block the sounds from coming in to his room, therefore solving the problem of reminding Scorpius, when he heard -

"Lily!" accompanied by a series of moans and gasps.

A flash of memories from the evening came back to him suddenly. A blonde and a red head dancing closely on the dance floor, the same couple talking heatedly at a table, then on the bridge. Then...come to think of it he couldn't remember seeing Lily or Scorpius any time after that.

He was sure he broke his hand with the first deafening pound on his flatmate's bedroom door.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, as I said before, it wasn't exactly what I had imagined in my mind. For some reason, I couldn't put the perfect scene down in words. Not for lack of trying though, which is why it has taken me a while to update this. So that is that, and this is this, the last chapter...unless you all want an epilogue? I might have the perfect one in mind... As always, thanks to my reviewers, old and new. Special thanks to missyca23, samesinlove, sidsaid, thesi, x8xdanix6x, and The Marauderet for reviewing regularly since pretty much the start of this fic. Thanks to everyone for your support and patience while waiting for me to update. I have a few more L/S ideas floating around on my computer, as well as my other L/S fic that is in progress. If you like my writing, put me on alerts (my updates won't spam your inbox haha) or check back occasionally for new fics. Thank you all SOOOO much!

The song used for their dance is called _Falling Slowly_ by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, appearing in the movie _Once_.

So...epilogue?


	9. Epilogue

**A/N: **Before I start, I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter (or any chapter really) and to everyone else who has been reading! You guys are great, I love the feed back! This one is for you!

Also, in responseto missyca23's comment regarding Al's thoughts near the end of the chapter about the 'red head and the blond', I meant it as kind of one of those moments when you notice things in the corner of your eye, but everything doesn't really come together until your brain has a reason to put them together. So they weren't using a masking charm, he just hadn't realized it was them he was seeing. Hope this makes sense

And now to business...

**Epilogue**

Albus thrashed thoroughly, trying to fend off the grindylow that had decided to attack him, but no matter how many punches and limbs he flailed about, it would not let go. He went still suddenly and opened his eyes. He was not in the Black Lake chasing after the gorgeous brunette mermaid. He was, in fact, in bed, and the thing he accused of being a grindylow was his sister...or at least without his glasses on the figure looked like Lily.

He grabbed his specs and put them on. Yes, it was indeed Lily...standing with her arms crossed in his roommates old Quidditch jersey. He moved to press his face into his pillow...he wished it had been a dream...he wished every day he saw her in his apartment wearing nothing but that jersey had been a continuous nightmare.

He felt her yank the pillow from his grasp. Her mouth was moving and her face looked annoyed. Wait...her mouth was moving...but what was she saying? Al tried to communicate with her in his confusion, and realized his own voice was missing as well. What -

"Deafening charm again Al?" Lily said after waving her wand in his direction.

Oh right, the highly useful and necessary deafening charm. "Your alarm has been going off for the past hour and a half," she added, waving her wand again to mute his alarm spell.

Godric be damned...he was supposed to be at work! He jolted out of bed. "Stupid stupid!" he shouted as he gathered his clothes to bring to the bathroom.

"I told you that nothing good comes form deafening charms," his sister said smugly.

He whirled around and glared at her. "If you and Scorpius would remember the bloody silencing charm – or better yet, NOT be together – I wouldn't have to use it!" he screamed, leaving the room.

"YOU!" he said, looking now at Scorpius.

Scorpius looked up at his haggard flatmate. "I want you out!" Al shouted.

"Al -" Lily started.

"No!" he cut her off. "Mum and dad might be okay with you two, but they don't have to live with it! Months and months of traumatizing nights! This is the second time I'm going to be late for work!"

"Al -" Scorpius tried to interject.

"Nope. Not one more word! I've made up my mind."

"_Silencio_!" Lily shouted, pointing her wand at Al.

"Now if you'd listen, you silly brother of mine," she shook her head.

"I was going to tell you that I'm moving out," Scorpius said, slightly amused at Al's still silent rage.

These words stopped him, and Lily removed the silencing charm. "Oh, well...that's good then," he said, turning back to the bathroom.

"Yeah, Lily's not sure she is ready to live on her own yet, so I said I'd protect her," Scorpius said with a laugh.

Lily hit him on the shoulder as Al stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned back to them. His best friend living with his sister...this was all too weird...too serious! When did Lily become the serious dating type? When had they even...why, oh why, was this happening? Maybe it was better just to accept it? Heck, James had, his father had! Uncle Ron...not so much, but that was his personality. Cripes, hadn't he outlined to Scorpius that Lily was off limits? Sure, it had been a slight joke at the time, but if he had really thought that this would happen...

He closed his eyes. "If I ever hear that you hurt her, you are so dead. Mates or not..._dead_. Got it?" he finally said.

Scorpius used all of his control to keep a straight face as he nodded in agreement.

**XxX _Four months later _XxX**

"Lily," Scorpius groaned, stretching the 'y' sound in a childish manner. "You've been in there forever!"

She rolled her eyes as she continued to move her hair around, trying to find a style that she was happy with. She had a good sense of time, and knew that she couldn't have been in the bathroom for more than twenty minutes. "You are so impatient," she commented, adding a few pins to her hair.

"Lucy is going to have grandchildren by the time you come out of there."

"She probably hasn't even woken up yet," Lily responded, spraying her hair with a mist of hair fixer from her wand.

The statement was most likely true; Lucy Weasley was not known to be the most punctual witch in the family. Lily wouldn't be surprised if she was the last one to arrive at the wedding...even if it was her own. Lucy was one of her few younger cousins, and the first to get married after James. She was marrying into the Longbottom family. His name was Frank, and he was one year younger than Lily was, two years older than Lucy.

She pulled the price tag off of her selected dress, grimacing slightly; if everyone from her family got married, her Gringott's vault would be severely emptied into the pockets of local fashion designers. Lucy was very particular about her wedding plans. She refused to wear the traditional white, claiming that it made her look like a burning wax candle, and instead monopolized the color periwinkle. That left the color white open, which made Lily incredibly happy as she had been eying this particular number in the boutique next to Madam Malkin's for quite a while.

It was a loose cotton, flowing and landing asymmetrically just above her knees, with the longest ripple touching her knee cap. It was bunched gently below her bust, and was decorated with black flowers running along the bottom ripples and top, continuing into two thin shoulder straps. Her wide curls were pulled into a borderline messy ponytail, bands curled slightly out of her eyes. Jewelry was simple, consisting of the silver chain and snake pendant she loved so much.

She sat on the closed toilet to put on her heels. They were black and strappy, with ribbons she took the time to crisscross elegantly a few times until she tied them a few inches above her ankles. She stood, steading herself slightly on the sink. Deciding she did not want to kill herself like she almost did at the Ministry gathering last month, she performed the spell Dominique had taught her…and undetectable widening charm on the spikes of her heels. Much better, she decided after taking the remaining steps toward the wooden door.

She walked out to find Scorpius lying across their bed, his head dangling off of the side. "You are going to give yourself a terrible headache doing that," she said, scorning him playfully.

He groaned as he pulled himself into the sitting position. He rubbed his head lightly with his fingers. "Is that you Lily?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Who else would it be?"

He smirked at her. "You were in there so long; I just wanted to make sure you weren't abducted."

"And who would I be abducted by?" she asked, raising her hands to her hips.

He shrugged. "There are a fair amount of witches who would kill to be in your shoes."

"Oh trust me," she said looking down at her feet, "they don't want to be."

"Oh shoosh, I meant dating me," he said, walking over to curl his arms around her waist.

"Meh," she teased.

He feigned offence. "Oh come on you. Are you ready to go?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

He nodded, taking her hand she offered him. "Oh, Lily," he said.

She looked at him. "You really do look lovely," he said, tipping her face up to his.

She gasped in surprise, his kiss taking her off guard. Even after being with him for a year, he still had an intoxicating effect on her. She assumed it was the Malfoy family mating gene…the need to produce male heirs heightened their pheromones. She smiled lightly to herself at the ridiculous thought. "Mmmm…Scorpius," she sighed.

"Hmm?" he responded, moving his lips down to her neck.

Her head tipped back on its own accord, her heart racing in her chest as her hands pulled at his fine hair. "Nevermind," she said, pulling his lips back up to hers.

He chuckled into her open mouth. "No, you are right. We do need to be going."

She pouted. "To be continued?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

She stole another kiss from his reddened lips. "Let's go."

She sighed and focused on her grandparent's backyard.

The Weasely women had truly outdone themselves this time. The trees were in bloom, petals falling lightly to decorate the white overhang that had been set up in the middle of the yard (a retreat in case of rain). There were a few rows of chairs on either side of the white carpet leading from the front door of the Burrow to a raised wooden platform, only large enough for Frank, Lucy, and the Ministry official to stand on. Pink vine flowers were lining the platform, flowing off onto the grass.

Lily turned to see Scorpius hunched with his hands on his knees; his usual post-aparation stance. She grabbed his arm to steady him. "Wanna go find some water?" she suggested.

He nodded, trying to compose himself a bit more before they headed into her grandparent's house. "Have I ever told you how much I want to paint this brilliant defiance of physics?" he commented, gazing up at the many stories.

Lily laughed. "I think your neck would hate you for that," she said, craning her neck to see the newly added 9th level.

There was a pop behind them, and Lily automatically turned to see who had arrived. "Rose!" she screeched, abandoning Scorpius for the moment.

Her brunette cousin met her hug with equal fervor. "Who's your friend?" Lily asked into her cousin's ear.

Rose blushed. "Ah ha!" Scorpius said triumphantly. "Another snake has infiltrated this family predominately filled with lions!"

Lily watched as he exchanged a hug with the tan black haired boy in front of them. "Lily, this is Kevin, Kevin Nott," Rose introduced them.

When Scorpius had released his old friend, Lily was able to shake hands and say hello. "So survival is an option then?" he joked.

"If you lived through meeting Rose's father, I'm sure you can do anything," Lily responded.

Kevin laughed as he grabbed Rose's hand. "Lily and I were just about to get something to drink before the ceremony, care to join us?" Scorpius asked.

Lily smiled, happy that Scorpius had another friend in the family now. As the quartet turned to enter the house at last, another crack announced the arrival of another guest. Scorpius turned around (perhaps hoping Dominique had decided to break up with Pat Finnigan for Marcus Zabini) to see Al. Lily watched as Scorpius tried to greet Al as naturally as possible. Al returned the sentiment, but she could still sense a bit of tension between the pair.

She felt terrible at times for coming in between the pair. She hugged her brother tightly before going inside to get Scorpius his promised glass of water.

XxX

The ceremony was brief as per Lucy's wishes. Lucy's sister Molly and Frank's lifelong best friend Lorcan Scammander were chosen to be their binders. This was the traditional wizarding way; vowing yourself to your mate with the support and love of two close friends. Scorpius had kissed her lightly on the lips as the gold ribbons wrapped around the couples' joined arms, ending in their respective gold wedding bands.

They stood up and produced sparks from their wands as the couple walked back down the aisle, signifying their best wishes and unending support for the newlyweds. As Scorpius pulled her into a hug, she couldn't help but think about their special day together. She found herself blushing at the thought. She had never before seriously considered the identity of the man she would eventually marry. But, hadn't Scorpius promised that this was his intention with her? She grew dizzy and clung to him more tightly. Sometimes he felt like a good dream that would disappear from her suddenly, leaving her back where she had started.

"You okay?" he asked, pulling away to look at her face knowingly.

She nodded quickly, wiping away a few tears that had mysteriously escaped from her eyes. "Food will probably help. I hear your grandmum made those little quiches you are so fond of," he said, leading her to follow the rest of the crowd into the shade of the tent.

She smiled, and they went off to indulge in the fine cuisine.

XxX

She stood on her tip toes, searching the dancing crowd. "He's over there, with dad," a voice came from behind her.

It was Al, returning to the table for another butterbeer. Lily turned her gaze to the table where she had last seen her father. Sure enough, Scorpius was sitting beside him. The pair smiled and waved when they saw Lily looking their way. "I don't hate you guys together," Al suddenly confessed.

She turned to him, feeling guilty she had forgotten he was standing next to her. "Oh yeah," she commented, looking down at his already half empty bottle. "How much have you had to drink tonight?" she teased.

Al took another swig from the bottle. "Enough to give me the confidence to ask that blonde standing next to Rose for a dance."

Lily laughed. "And I guess enough to admit that…as much as I hate it sometimes, I'm glad that you ended up with Scor. He's a great guy, more than I could have hoped for my little sister."

She gave him a genuine smile. "Am I missing a sibling bonding moment?" came a booming voice from Lily's other side.

"James!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around her eldest brother's neck.

Her two brothers shook hands when she had finally released James. "I was just telling her that she can expect to find her boyfriend dead if he ever hurts her," Al teased.

James smiled devilishly. "Little late to fill her in on that point Al. The whole family has had that planned for ages," he winked.

Lily hit him playfully. "But really Lils," he started as he reached behind her for a shot of firewhisky, "I don't think we will have any worries…I know you well enough to know that you will take care of him long before we even hear that he has hurt you."

The trio laughed as Scorpius slowly approached them. "Hey Scor, just filling in your sister on our plot to murder you if you ever hurt her," James winked.

He laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it," he replied as James patted him on the back a little roughly. "Lily, your dad wants a dance. I have to slip out for a minute, but I'll be right back," h e said.

She nodded, and started walking over toward where her father was seated. "Oh there aren't any apparation tricks at this wedding are there?" he asked.

Lily laughed as she remembered James and Maddie's baby shower. He had went home to get the gift, but was unable to return because the property had not recognized him as family. "I don't think you'll have a problem this time mate," James winked.

Lily looked at him curiously. "Lils, dad's waiting and his dancing legs definitely aren't getting any younger!" James told her.

She laughed and left the boys. After weaving carefully through her dancing family members, she reached her father who had gotten to his feet. "Just because you have a boyfriend doesn't mean he gets to spend all of the dances with you," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Not you too," she said as her father pulled her onto the dance floor.

"What?" he asked.

"Everyone keeps teasing about him. Rose just brought some fresh snake skin, why can't everyone go tease her?" she complained.

Her father's gaze went to Rose and Kevin. "Don't think they can take it like you can," he said.

Lily huffed, and a silence fell between them. "You've grown up so fast," her father said suddenly.

She smiled. "I've tried so hard to spread it out," she said.

"You're too young to be out in the world alone, too young to be in the care of another boy."

She blushed. "But if I had to choose, I couldn't pick better than you already have," he said, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Thanks dad," she replied awkwardly. "I'm still your little Lily."

He smiled at her. "Good."

They finished their dance together, her father gave her one last hug. "Scorpius is back," he said.

Lily automatically turned her head. "That eager to get away huh? Am I that bad at dancing?" her father asked, looking down at his shoes.

She laughed. "No dad, you're not nearly as bad as mum says you are."

"Hey!"

"Talk to mum, not me!"

He laughed. "I'm happy for you baby girl," he said, kissing the top of her head one last time before turning to find her mother.

If she had whirled him around, she would have seen a solitary tear fall down his cheek.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Scorpius. "What took you so long?" she asked.

"I was back a while ago," he smiled, pulling her close to dance, "but I didn't want to interrupt you and your father."

She smiled as she placed her head on his shoulder. "Al says he doesn't hate you, and that he's actually glad I picked you over some other wizard," she confessed into his ear.

"Oh really?" Scorpius said, with a slight smile in his voice.

"My family seems to agree that you are a winner," she laughed, playing with his hair.

"And what do you think?" he asked.

She smiled into his neck. "I think you are too."

He laughed. "Good."

They continued their dance. It felt as natural as ever; one of his hands twined with hers, his other pulling their bodies closer together as he rubbed small circles on the small of her back. His nose was buried in her hair, and hers in his collar, smelling his inviting cologne.

"I think you are a pretty good catch as well," he whispered in her ear. "One I don't intend on letting go."

She grasped him closer to her. "I love you," she found herself whisper in reply.

He removed his hand from hers and used it to tip her face to meet his lips. He kissed her softly, his lips lovingly caressing her own. Her knees grew weak; he had never kissed her like this before. "And I love you, Lily Luna Potter," he smiled as he pulled away.

He cupped her head back to his chest, and Lily thought she heard him whisper something. "What?" she asked.

"I just said that you looked absolutely beautiful tonight," he replied, both of his hands now on her waist.

She smiled as a warmth spread through her body…but it wasn't like the usual happy feeling she had with him. Sure, it started around her heart, but this was an actual physical warmth. She gasped as her hand slid between them and grasped the small snake pendant. She felt his hands slide off of her waist as she tried to read the writing on the belly of the snake.

'_Marry me' _it read.

She gasped, dropping the charm to her chest. His face was no longer in front of her. "Where-"

A warm hand grasped one of her own. She looked down to see Scorpius looking up at her, one knee bent to the ground. His other hand was holding a familiar silver box, which he flicked open to reveal an oval diamond smiling at her from between two pairs of emeralds set in a light gold band. "I don't want to ever have to go a day without seeing those brilliant eyes, without being on the receiving end of your firey temper, without being able to kiss those amazing lips of yours, or without being able to tell you that I love you. So I ask you, Lily Luna Potter, to embark on one last adventure with me," he stated.

Lily looked into his gray eyes, still shocked at what was happening. This was everything she had ever wanted, he was everything she had ever wanted…why was she still standing there with her mouth open? "Y-yes!" she gasped through her tears.

The smile on his face was indescribable as he removed the ring from its box and placed it on her finger. They stood together as she let everything sink in farther. "Kiss her!" erupted from somewhere beside her.

She snapped her head. When had the music stopped? How long had everyone been watching them? "Kiss her!" James called again from behind his hand.

She turned back to Scorpius who put his hands on the sides of her face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. His eyes were the last thing she saw before he kissed her in front of her entire family.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks again for everyone that has reviewed and has taken the time to read! I hope this doesn't leave you disappointed! I wrote a few versions of this chapter and had one that I thought was okay...but for some reason didn't post it. Then today, out of nowhere, this came to me, and I think I made the right choice in scrapping the others. Let me know what you thought! I will make a sincere effort to respond to all reviews this time around!

School is almost done, and then I can start writing again! Well this concludes my first officially finished multichaptered story. Thank you all for sharing this experience with me! Pics are posted on the photobucket site for all those interested.

**Sidetrack note**: A few comments left on the last chapter about Lily/Scor and Rose/Scor made me think back on why I had chosen to ship Lily/Scorpius...I actually realized I had been shipping them since BEFORE the 7th book (or even the 6th book) was written! During my first phase of , I ran across a story that was Harry's daughter and Draco's son. I've been trying desperately to find it, but I think the author left the site. I believe this fic was called Simply Irresistible by Bella Black. So, I'm pretty sure that this is what has caused me to be a natural Lily/Scorpius shipper.

Until next time...


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